O/T: Machine Head's response to kerrang! UK review of new album

Jono

Hail Satan!
from machinehead1.com:
[font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif]Kerrang! Savages Machine Head[/font][font=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, Sans-serif]10.28.03 - 01:30PM[/font]
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In what came as a complete shock to band members, UK-based teen nu-metal weekly, Kerrang!, have absolutely savaged Machine Head's new album, "Through the Ashes of Empires". Referring to it as "a directionless mess of an album", that is chock full of "widdlesome solos and moments of musical 'complexity' that actually get in the way", and declaring it "the sonic equivalent of eating last nights delivery pizza, reheated today". Add to those comments the fact that they give the record a mere 2 "K's", only one "K" above the worst Kerrang! review rating of 1"K", which the UK magazine refers to as "bollocks".

The review comes at a time when the international press is absolutely raving about Machine Head's "Through the Ashes of Empires", calling it a return to form, with every single major metal magazine in the UK and Europe decidedly praising the record, with even the Australian edition of Kerrang! handing out a staggering 5 "K" review. Which, strangely, leaves K! writer Daniel Lukes as the only scribe to not only barely review the record, but out and out attack the band. Machine Head drummer Dave McClain called the review "gutter journalism, closer to what you might find on an internet message board". While frontman Robert Flynn simply added that the reviewer could "suck our fuckin' dicks".

Even more confusing and bizarre, in the same review, Lukes incorrectly states that Kerrang! only awarded 1999's "The Burning Red" a mere 3 "K's", when Kerrang! writer Mörat clearly awarded it 4 "K's" in his original review, declaring "Indeed, if it weren't for [one song] "The Burning Red" would, without doubt, be a 5 "K" album". Some have speculated that showing the bands' declining "K's" certainly made the review gel better with Lukes' "story" of "a band in decline", while most agree that it could have just been an editorial oversight.

The review came as even more of a shock to the Bay Area Mob as Kerrang! are sponsoring Machine Head's tour of the UK, primarily, the two nearly sold out London gigs at the Carling Astoria which are Kerrang! X-fest dates.

The band has issued the following statement on the situation: "While we are all a bit shocked, surprised and disappointed that this particular Kerrang! journalist has decided to attack us with such belligerence. We have many friends, supporters, and allies within the Kerrang! organization. Kerrang! have been champions of this band. And as music fans, we have been avid supporters of the magazine since its early days. While some within our own organization feel it would be completely justified, Machine Head have no intention whatsoever of severing Kerrang!'s involvement in our U.K. tour dates over something as petty and trivial as this. We hope that we can sit down soon, have a beer, a good laugh, and put this all behind the both of us".

wow thats funny because the same thing happened with supercharger and Rob slapped them back. Personally i think the guy needs to realise that not everyone is going to love you're music. But i haven't been able to find the actual review. But i do know the new album is amazing. A return to form so i dunno what this guy had a problem with. maybe he liked supercharger and burning red? Through the Ashes of Empires is nothing like those two albums.
-Jono-
 
Regardless of what the review said, or how good the album is, I think it was pretty juvenile to even respond to it. Everyone doesn't have to like their album.
 
yeah when i was looking for the actual article i found one about supercharger and Rob replied to that one too saying "this is the band working at 200%" so what!just becaue you work hard at something doesn't mean people will like it. It might have been burning red that got the bad review before i'm not sure. Both those albums just weren't very good.

either way though the new one rules.

-Jono-
 
Who gives a shit about Kerrang anyway - they're more interested in the Strokes and BRMC these days than real metal like Anthrax and MachineHead anyway.
 
yes the new album does kick major ass!!!!

for those of you in the colonies you have to realise that Kerrang! was once a credible heavy metal publication that catered for all genres with articles on bands ranging from led zep to napalm death and all colours inbetween. These days they have jumped on the entire industry bandwagon of only supporting what is popular right now. anything else gets either ignored or panned by the "critics" on their staff. Yes they have always pushed the big bands of the moment but there was always room for everyone within those pages, and reviews on the whole were pretty fair - if an album they reviewed as good it more often than not was and vice versa. Unfortunately nowadays there only seems to be room for a few bands in there and the rosta changes quite rapidly. If machine head were to have a massive success with the new album then they would probably become flavour of the month again with all thoughts of this review forgotten.
so is the way of things with kerrang uk

heh the main reason why i no longer subscribe to it!!

my 2 cents done :D
 
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I haven't heard it yet, but agree with Bigphat - why the hell respond to a fuckin' review in lame magazine? A band like Machine Head should know better. And yeah, Kerrang has turned into a girlie nu-metal poseur magazine and sucks major ass.
 
i bought kerrang a few weeks back when they pap on a cd on the cover and i got it quite simply coz machine head were on it and i heard good things i wasnt disappointed. It was the stand out song on that comp cd. Far better than burning red but almost as good as burn my eyes i reckon. i shall be making a couple of purchases in the album and tickets to glasgow gig. Now to start getting back to my local rock pub and club. Pint of lager good barman
 
timmyc said:
Who gives a shit about Kerrang anyway - they're more interested in the Strokes and BRMC these days than real metal like Anthrax and MachineHead anyway.
Okay, I'm not going to stand on the pulpit and defend Kerrang - I don't often see people change their minds on these or any other forums, but Kerrang has some of the most dedicated metal fans out there, and I know because I write for them, and I know that writers like Jonathan Selzer, Dom Lawson, Nick Ruskell and others work constantly and incredibly hard to have their metal tastes reflected in the mag. You're not going to like every band that Kerrang covers obviously, because I sure as hell don't(!!!) but Kerrang's coverage is as diverse as the writers that contribute, and believe me they cover a very wide spectrum.

As for Anthrax coverage, I waited outside in a Cardiff train station for six hours in the middle of the night to do an Anthrax feature a few months back after Steve Beebee wrote a top-notch rave review of their Nottingham show, so I hope you won't think we don't give a shit. And as for the wait, fuck no I'm not complaining - they're one of the best bands working today and it was a fucking honour.

You're completely entitled to your opinions, and I know were you're coming from. Just hope you'll appreciate a different point of view from someone coming from a different perspective...

Best,

AM
 
you cannot label music as good or bad , it's everybodys own opinion, it's about taste!!!!!!dont like it, buy something else!!same goes for the people who are bashing on bands who make the big bucks!!!Don't buy it and stop whining when youre fav.band doesn't get a 10/10 !!!!
 
B L zebub said:
for those of you in the colonies you have to realise that Kerrang! was once a credible heavy metal publication that catered for all genres with articles on bands ranging from led zep to napalm death and all colours inbetween.
I used to read Kerrang back in the 80's and it was credible like you said. I also witnessed a shift in what they wrote about/reviewed in that time frame. When I started reading it you could find articles on bands like Ratt and Marillion and then it shifted to more articles on bands like Metallica and Simple Minds. I guess Hard Rock\Classic Rock to Thrash\New Music

One of my favorite articles was an interview with Blackie Lawless of WASP discussing the PMRC where he compared them to the Macarthy hearings. I used the article for a paper I wrote in high school.
 
Mike Muir of S.T said it best

Just cause you don't understand what's going on
...don't mean it don't make no sense
And just cause you don't like it,...don't mean it aint no good
 
it was a bad review- flynn should get over it. so damn what: A BAD REVIEW. stop crying about it already. childish.

well said BL zebub.
now onto kerrang. i was looking the new issue today which has a list of reasons why 2004 will rock: and at number 1 was the white stripes' new album or tour (or whatever i didn;t read it). what the fuck is going on??? the whites stripes (a ahitty trendy flavour of the month band) in a magazine i used to read. kerrang just cover bands that are flavour of the month. kerrang used to have good news coverage on HEAVY bands i liked or would like. now it's just full of trendy shite that half of is not even metal.

what happened to covering bands like testament, carcass, suicidal tendencies, morbid angel...??????

ps.
i HATE the white stripes.
 
Yeah I agree Robb should just not worry about what the fuck everyone thinks. Just make the album he wants to make. If critics like it fine if not fine, if his fans like it fine if not, oh well. As long as hes happy with it.
 
The problem with Kerrang is that it has now turned into a rock/metal fashion megazine. Whatever is 'in' kerrang lick the ass of e.g. when nu metal was at its height kerrang was worshipping it and slagging off old school stuff like anthrax and megadeth but now that nu metal is folding it is slagging it off and licking the ass of stuff like emo and cock rock. I've stopped buying it ad now stick to metal hammer as it is unbiased.