Machine Head

[SLASHer]

So I gave Machine Head another listen today and they are pretty cool. It's not exactly right up my alley, but they are definitely a good band. What do you guys think of them? What would be a good album for a beginning listener to pick up?

[Vish]

The Blackening is the be-all, end-all, of this band. The More Things Change and Burn My Eyes are brilliant as well. Whatever you do, DO NOT pick up Supercharger or The Burning Red... unless you, all of a sudden, got a taste for generic rap-rock and nu metal. The Burning Red has a couple good songs on it, but that's all. Supercharger has 0 good songs on it. Your best bet is The Blackening and Burn My Eyes. The book-ends of their catalog.

[SLASHer]

The Blackening is the be-all, end-all, of this band. The More Things Change and Burn My Eyes are brilliant as well. Whatever you do, DO NOT pick up Supercharger or The Burning Red... unless you, all of a sudden, got a taste for generic rap-rock and nu metal. The Burning Red has a couple good songs on it, but that's all. Supercharger has 0 good songs on it. Your best bet is The Blackening and Burn My Eyes. The book-ends of their catalog.

Yeah it also looks like Through the Ashes of Empires is a solid album also. Fuck that Nu-metal crap. I was so surprised to figure out that Machine Head's guitarists are both the ones from Vio-Lence and Vio-Lence rules so thats cool.

[Vish]

Phil Demmel was only on the last two records, I believe... Through The Ashes Of Empires is a decent album. Not near the calibur of The Blackening, though.

[tbhride]

Blackening and Burn My Eyes are essential listening imo. Ashes is also very good. And it is true... Burning Red and Supercharger are both pretty lame.

[SLASHer]

I wish bands like Machine Head would be more raw. Thrash bands from the bands were just as heavy, but they were also so raw. I love the raw guitar sound. Machine Head's guitars sound overprocessed. That aside I can still listen to band with this problem I just don't get into them as much. Robb Flynn should have just kept the way his tone sounded in Vio-Lence.

[Vish]

I prefer the more processed sound than I do the raw sound.

[CFH]

I must say it's good to see a Machine Head thread where it should be.

With that, The Blackening is the best album of this decade as far as I'm concerned, and Burn My Eyes and The More Things Change are almost as good. Through the Ashes of Empires is amazing from "Imperium" to "Seasons Wither," but it unfortunately runs out of gas after that track. The Burning Red honestly isn't as bad as most people say it is, but it is radically different than the four albums I just mentioned so you may want to stay away from it as a result. Supercharger is as bad as everyone says it is.

As for MH's guitar sound, the overprocessed tone on The Blackening is the closest thing that album has to a drawback, but thankfully it does sound good. Like you, I prefer rawer guitar sounds, and if you want one from Machine Head, you may find it in Burn My Eyes and The More Things Change.

Last but not least, Vio-Lence is an amazing band and the reunion of Flynn and Demmel in 2003 was badass! :monkey