Spotlight: New Machine Head Album?

Kerrang! Magazine are asking what 9 things we want from the upcoming new Slipknot album in a recently released article here which makes for interesting reading. Coupled with the news that Robb Flynn has announced Machine Head as being “working on new heaviness” this week, it kind of got us thinking… What would we hope for from a new Machine Head Record?

Return of the tension building Intros

One of our favourite Machine Head tracks has to be “Imperium” and intro followed by Robb Flynn’s cry of “Hear me now!” is just jaw droppingly good. The first time we heard it, we knew that the band were back with something special. We want more of that! In fact, a return to the longer tunes in general with “Unto The Locust” being only 7 songs in 49 minutes would be a fine thing.

More Thrash influenced riffs

The Oakland California band have been at their best when they’ve been elevating Thrasher tunes to a higher level. The more Progressive Thrash or Classical Metal (take your pick or sub-genre) of the “Unto The Locust” or “The Blackening” albums would be great! If “Catharsis” is “The Burning Red #2” then lets have “The Blackening #2”!

Less Nu-Metal inspiration

“The Burning Red” and “Catharsis” will probably go down in Metal history as a couple of underrated albums. Albums with some pretty decent tunes on them but panned by critics for having Nu-Metal influences and some unnecessary rap vocals. “From This Day” has a decent riff but the vocals are laughable, while you can take “California Bleeding”, which now former guitarist Phil Demmel claims to despise and put it in much the same bracket.

More slower, heavier parts

Everyone who knows anything about Machine Head (and even some who don’t) know that “Davidian” from the bands debut “Burn My Eyes” is one of their finest cuts. That slowed down section at the back end of the track that we all love – we’d like to hear Robb Flynn do something different with that and perhaps even drop into a Downtempo groove for a verse.

Less full on acoustic guitar work

The acoustic work of likes of “Descend The Shades of Night” works incredibly well in it’s dark atmosphere building before the electric guitars come piling in for a steam roller of a finish and offer a classical metal throw back to influences of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. We love that, that’s really something special. The Flogging Molly esq “Bastards” however, while it works for that one tune as a single stand out is best reserved for “Catharsis”.

Exploration of the Hardcore Punk influence

Having covered “Alan’s on Fire” by Poison Idea and “Hard Times” by Cro-Mags, we know that Rob Flynn has a love for Hardcore Punk. Some of that influence appeared on “The More Things Change” so how about a deeper drive into that with the new album?

A decent new drummer

The loss of guitarist Phil Demmel (now back in Vio-lence) is one thing. But the loss of Sticksman Dave McClain (now in a re-activated Sacred Reich) is quite another. The drummer has been Robb Flynn’s longest serving cohort in the Oakland California crew and is an incredible musician. That’s not to discount Demmel, who’s work far surpasses producer and Once Human Guitarist Logan Mader and the now former Ill Nino and Terror Universal Gutarist Ahure Luster’s work in the band.