Machine Head
28 November 2003
London Astoria
It really does feel like make or break time for Machine Head. Having arrived on the scene back in 1994 with the groundbreaking Burn My Eyes, they had since, unwisely, got caught up in the fad of nu-metal and haemorrhaged a great deal of their supporters.
Tonight they are promoting new album Through The Ashes Of Empires, which harks back to their much lauded debut, featuring a heavier sound and less formulaic song structures that Robb Flynn has put down to his recent fascination with Rush. Now I wouldn`t go as far as to compare the likes of set opener Imperium with Rush, but the appeal of the new material is one that grows on you rather than being instant. This seems apparent from the more subdued crowd reaction to the new songs, though on the strength of the performance tonight it`s likely a good portion who haven`t already will head out, buy and get into the album.
The set is biased to similarly heavy material and despite the Supercharger logos flanking the band only Trephination makes the cut from that more commercial album. Elsewhere the pit is constant mass of movement for the likes of The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears and Ten Ton Hammer.
Yet again, there`s a new man on second guitar, which has proved a difficult slot to fill for Machine Head. This time, however, they have struck gold. Flynn returned to his old band Vio-Lence to pluck Phil Demmel, who is an absolute star tonight, both with his playing and constant interaction with the crowd. Flynn too seems much more relaxed with this reunited partnership and there`s a lot of interplay between them, none more so than on the furious Blood For Blood which harks back to their old Bay Area thrash youth.
Demmel`s constant movement on stage allows Adam Duce to sit back and get on with his job of holding down a tight rhythm section with Dave McClain. McClain is mounted way up on a high drum riser allowing us on the balcony to get a bird`s eye view of his watertight drumming.
Twice during the set Machine Head slow down the pace, allowing the set, and moshers, to breathe. Firstly for the brooding The Burning Red and secondly for new song Descend The Shades Of Night. The latter surely will become a Machine Head classic, in much the same way One is for Metallica. The performance sees Flynn and Demmel seamlessly switching between stand mounted acoustic guitars and their flying V`s and is a definite peak in a strong set.
It`s no surprise that Davidian and Block are going to finish the set, though it is a surprise that a couple of extra covers are sandwiched between the two. After teasing the crowd with the intro to Sweet Child Of Mine, which oddly gets a very loud cheer, and a few riffs from Back In Black, Machine Head plough through Queens Of The Stone Age`s Feel Good Hit Of The Summer. Perhaps an unexpected choice to many and perhaps to Flynn, given he`d oddly just announced they were going to play a couple of songs they had grown up on. Less surprising, but better received is a cover of Metallica`s Creeping Death.
Machine Head would appear to be back on track, both musically and as a unit. The new album is getting good press and live shows like these will certainly not harm their cause.
Machine Head Set List:
Imperium / Take My Scars / The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears / None But My Own / Left Unfinished / Ten Ton Hammer / Trephination / The Burning Red / In The Presence Of My Enemies / Blood For Blood / Descend The Shades Of Night / Davidian / Feel Good Hit Of The Summer / Creeping Death / Block
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