Review: “Human Error” by Anger Machine

Forged in the furnaces of Holland in 2015, Groove Thrash Metal outfit Anger Machine first appeared on our radar with their critically acclaimed 2019 debut album “Trail Of The Perished“. Back then they were on their second vocalist in Remus Stingaciu who succeeded Tim Koole (Man As Plague), the man who graced their 2017 debut EP “Unbreakable” and it seemed impossible that we’d be left waiting six long years for the next record. But some patterns are destined to repeat themselves and after Koole left the project in 2021 guitarist Thijmen den Hartigh filled the void. He’s joined by Traanbaard pairing Martijn de Jong and Corné van der Vlugt on guitars and drums respectively alongside Merijn Kloosterman of None Shall Fall fame on bass, the rest of the band all original members. Mixed and mastered by Mendel bij de Leij (Aborted, Catalysis) and adorned by artwork from the legendary Dan Goldsworthy (Body Count, Coffin Feeder, Buried Realm) it feels safe to say that sophomore album “Human Error” falls into both the long awaited and highly anticipated categories in the store that Patrick Bateman returns his videos to…

“Intro” sets the tone with news reels about disasters around the globe brought about by human error playing out underneath a melancholic moment of lead guitar before “Parasite” roars into life as the first track proper, Thijmen den Hartigh winning over the fans immediately with his presence and purpose vocally. An absolute ripper in Death Metal tinged Thrash with a scorching solo from a melted fretboard between staccato riff breaks laced with adrenalized energy, it’s the kind of thing that you can easily picture a true genre fan like Mark Pursino from Electrocutioner smiling about. Throwing their bullets on the fire and running like hell “Deadline Flatline” plays out at the tempo of the damned with slick leads and a classically styled solo that will have you thinking Megadeth in no time at all. It’s one to capture the spirit of Thrash and the energy of a live performance like lightening in a bottle and bodes very well for live performances.

Slowing things down a notch and introducing some Melodic Death Metal flavours “Earthquaker” has the instant appeal of an ice cold beer on hot day. Gravelly vocals and Matt Heafy or Adam Dutkiewicz style guitar work makes it an absolute pleasure, the fist in the air scream-a-long chorus one you may find yourself repeating on the first listen. What’s great about these opening three songs is that they have their roots firmly in the Anger Machine sound but the band refuse to be pigeon holed, spreading their wings just enough to keep the discerning listener on their toes. By this point this well oiled machine is in sixth gear and roaring down the freeway, Corné van der Vlugt impressing behind the kit on the almighty “Killer In Disguise“. A drop off for a fleeting moment of tranquil melody in the mid section is a nice touch, as is rising like a phoenix from those ashes into a solo before a final chorus.

An ode to the challenges we find in our day to day lives “Obstacle Course” is a middle finger to those who get in the way. Using a Traditional Heavy Metal style solo to bridge the otherwise all out Thrash attack works incredibly well and the lyrics are ones to which we can all relate. The Sepultura influences on Anger Machine rear their ugly head with the Igor Cavalera style drums on title track “Human Error“, this one coming off like a mid 90’s masterpiece with a huge sing-a-long chorus. Everything about the track oozes class, the return of the news reels that served as the introduction during a lush piece of extended instrumental very well put together. If you hadn’t guessed it, the lyrical narrative about the insanity of humanity at times is very much on point, Thijmen den Hartigh capturing the mood perfectly.

After those melodies comes a return to more Melodic Death Metal leanings with “Acid Rainbow“, a soaring extended solo from Martijn de Jong nothing short of stunning. Like many on this record, this one has certain timeless quality while benefitting from modern production values and could have been released at any point over the past 25 years with ease. That’s very much part of the albums instant appeal, it’s as easy to get involved with as a hot cup of coffee from a hot coffee cup and will have you coming back for more before too long.

An acoustic piece in “Interlude” which sounds like it belongs on the soundtrack to El Mariachi offers a little breathing space before one last call to arms. Curiously grand finale “Warpath” isn’t actually a new song but one that saw release in 2017 between the bands debut EP and debut album as a standalone affair alongside a cover of the Sepultura classic “Dead Embryonic Cells“. This new rendition is 13 seconds longer and surprisingly fits the narrative of the album perfectly. Death Thrash riffs fly in all directions as Thijmen den Hartigh roars in bloody fury, the fist in the air gang chant of “for money! for power! for death!” one perfected in the live arena. Anger Machine bring the heat, its time they were recognised as fire starters [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Intro
2. Parasite
3. Deadline Flatline
4. Earthquaker
5. Killer In Disguise
6. Obstacle Course
7. Human Error
8. Acid Rainbow
9. Interlude
10. Warpath

“Human Error” by Anger Machine is out 5th July 2025