24th May 2024

Review: “Self Titled” by The Reality Machine

Following the decision to put his other band Magneta Plaza on hiatus in January 2024, Finnish multi instrumentalist Ari Kotipelto followed his long held desire to return to his musical roots and write some Traditional Heavy Metal. Soon the creative floodgates opened and joined by vocalist Igor Arbuzov of Blazing Rust fame the duo recorded a debut self titled EP for The Reality Machine which is adorned by artwork from Klaus-Erik Strandberg. While searching for like minded musicians for live shows the duo have written a sophomore effort and put pen to paper with ideas for a third…

A collection of songs created in a Traditional Metal style with a modern edge, the self titled EP from The Reality Machine begins with “The All-Seeing Eye“, a groove laden that runs on a lyrical narrative about the final hours of humanity as judgement day approaches. Inspired and upbeat despite storyline, the influences of past masters like Dio and Judas Priest run deep as Ari Kotipelto shows off his skills as a multi instrumentalist. He rips out a fine solo as this one plays out and if the drums are programmed, they’ve been done sympathetically so you can barely tell. While the opening cut is a little bit cheesy (in a good way), there is more intensity in the pre-Thrash era sound of “The Wrong Messiah” which opens up the floor to a wealth of greater possibilities going forward. Punchier and more aggressive in the instrumentation, this one has more power to it without being too much of a departure from the sound of the opening cut. The solo and the high pitched Power Metal inspired warbling moments making a real impact as a tale of how religion is an excuse for some truly horrific crimes.

The beauty of the record is that while you don’t have to read that much into to the lyrics, there is a lot of depth there if you want it. So if you simply want to get lost in the mesmerising riffs of cuts like “Next In Line” which fly from the fretboard with ease then you can. The songs are incredibly catchy with vocalist Igor Arbuzov does a fantastic job of capturing the essence of what an old school Traditional Metal vocalist did back in the 1980’s while bringing some nice ideas of his own to the Kings table. A sing-a-long chorus at the heart of the anthemic “Rainmaker” is coiled around slick riffs as The Reality Machine speak of everything being for sale as the rich get richer in the modern World. Once again rich in heritage but having enough of a life of it’s own that it’s not a cliché, this one feels like it could be covered by Megadeth.

A slow burning near eight minute magnum opus and the bands namesake, “The Reality Machine” pushes things in a new direction by creating something of epic stature while threatening to boil over into something a little more Progressive. The solo on this one is an absolute face-melter, the duo proving that they have what it takes to hold the attention for the longer duration with a few nuances which rise out of the mix over multiple listens. As powerful as the other tracks here, this one speaks volumes about living in your now, throwing away your screens and embracing the World before they swallow your dreams. That’s a message that is more essential now that it has ever been… [7.5/10]

Track Listing