With their previous album The Blackening (2007) Machine Head managed to get into the spotlight again, not least through successful tours as support act for Slipknot and Metallica. Just like the latter band, Machine Head is fodder for heated discussions among metal fans, who feel that the group is moving too much towards the mainstream. Those concerns are unjustified, because it seems unlikely that
… you will hear a song like Locust on Sky Radio any time soon. Artillery fire from chopping guitars and rattling drums is just a bit too intense for that. Yet this song also has a beautiful melodic intermediate piece and a catchy chorus. The two extremes reinforce each other. The children's choir (!) In the intro to Who We Are is another surprise. For the rest, the group serves its tried-and-tested thrash metal with which she knows how to captivate her fans again. (PdK)more
