Machine Head - Hellalive
Roadrunner Records - 2003
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Machine Head website
I've been awaiting this document of Robb Flynn's band of merry men tearing it up in the live setting with some trepidation, I must admit. After cutting one of the best and heaviest albums of the burgeoning mainstream/extreme metal crossover style with Burn My Eyes and following it up with the equally crushing The More Things Change, Machine Head sadly seemed to fumble slightly with the more nu-metal-esque stylings of The Burning Red, and then in my eyes dropped the ball completely with the nu-metal by numbers Supercharger. Although not devoid of decent tunes, that last album simply wasn't the Machine Head that astounded me with inventively catchy but brutal riffage and, particularly, the 'try and headbang to this' phrasing of Davidian's outro...
But, as Robb himself would no doubt point out, the best way to experience Machine Head is live. And from the sounds of this disc, even lacklustre material can become energised by the atmosphere of a great gig. Kicking off with Supercharger's best track, Bulldozer, the album (and show) bursts to life straight away. The effect is immediate, mainly due to Colin Richardson's fantastic work at mixing this album - the guitars have fantastic presence and power, but not to the cost of the other instruments. Adam Duce's bass still rumbles along with clarity and force (which is useful for moments like the bass intro to I'm Your God Now and Old), while Dave McClain thunders his way through the complex drumming of tracks like Davidian with considerable aplomb.
Robb is the consumnate showman throughout, keeping the audience pumped and jumping along (although his slightly irksome habit of reminding the Brixton Academy crowd that it is 'a Saturday night in Londoon!' rapidly becomes tiring) while dealing out sandblasted vocal followed by smooth intonation via white-man-rapping interludes in the newer material. The setlist itself is perfectly paced too, with an extended spoken word intro gradually building before Crashing Around You levels the venue, and The Burning Red bringing the audience to an emphatic, but relaxed high before showstopper Davidian creates an explosion of energy.
Overall, this is a brilliant document of a band who may have lost their way somewhat in terms of their recorded output over recent times, but who can still quite clearly prove what made us sit up and listen in the first place when it comes to the live arena. Old songs are given an extra energy, and newer songs are played with more conviction and force than ever before. Go get this to hear Machine Head at their best.
9/10
Roadrunner Records - 2003
By Philip Whitehouse
Go to the Machine Head website
I've been awaiting this document of Robb Flynn's band of merry men tearing it up in the live setting with some trepidation, I must admit. After cutting one of the best and heaviest albums of the burgeoning mainstream/extreme metal crossover style with Burn My Eyes and following it up with the equally crushing The More Things Change, Machine Head sadly seemed to fumble slightly with the more nu-metal-esque stylings of The Burning Red, and then in my eyes dropped the ball completely with the nu-metal by numbers Supercharger. Although not devoid of decent tunes, that last album simply wasn't the Machine Head that astounded me with inventively catchy but brutal riffage and, particularly, the 'try and headbang to this' phrasing of Davidian's outro...
But, as Robb himself would no doubt point out, the best way to experience Machine Head is live. And from the sounds of this disc, even lacklustre material can become energised by the atmosphere of a great gig. Kicking off with Supercharger's best track, Bulldozer, the album (and show) bursts to life straight away. The effect is immediate, mainly due to Colin Richardson's fantastic work at mixing this album - the guitars have fantastic presence and power, but not to the cost of the other instruments. Adam Duce's bass still rumbles along with clarity and force (which is useful for moments like the bass intro to I'm Your God Now and Old), while Dave McClain thunders his way through the complex drumming of tracks like Davidian with considerable aplomb.
Robb is the consumnate showman throughout, keeping the audience pumped and jumping along (although his slightly irksome habit of reminding the Brixton Academy crowd that it is 'a Saturday night in Londoon!' rapidly becomes tiring) while dealing out sandblasted vocal followed by smooth intonation via white-man-rapping interludes in the newer material. The setlist itself is perfectly paced too, with an extended spoken word intro gradually building before Crashing Around You levels the venue, and The Burning Red bringing the audience to an emphatic, but relaxed high before showstopper Davidian creates an explosion of energy.
Overall, this is a brilliant document of a band who may have lost their way somewhat in terms of their recorded output over recent times, but who can still quite clearly prove what made us sit up and listen in the first place when it comes to the live arena. Old songs are given an extra energy, and newer songs are played with more conviction and force than ever before. Go get this to hear Machine Head at their best.
9/10
