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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Machine Head - The More Things Change + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.May-12-2012 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........1997 Khz/Bitrate..44.1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......The_Patriarch Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... machinehead1.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Machine Head Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : The More Things Change Label : RoadRunner ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ When one listens to the lines "The more things ║ │
│║ change, the more they stay the same" on the song ║ │
│║ "Struck a Nerve", a feeling of irony comes to ║ │
│║ mind. After all, Machine Head kept changing and ║ │
│║ changing through all of their career while still ║ │
│║ retaining their identity, and this album in no ║ │
│║ exception at all. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The More Things Change... is the only album ║ │
│║ between their glorious masterpiece Burn My Eyes ║ │
│║ and the highly nⁿ-metallish The Burning Red. As ║ │
│║ such, opinions are expectantly polarized in two ║ │
│║ groups: the ones who say that this album was ║ │
│║ their last album as the enraged groove thrash ║ │
│║ band that gave us "Davidian" and the ones who ║ │
│║ say that this was the beginning of their nⁿ- ║ │
│║ metallish era that would tragically culminate ║ │
│║ with 2001's full-fledged disaster Supercharger. ║ │
│║ From my personal point of view, however, nothing ║ │
│║ like that happens. This album is positively ║ │
│║ unrelated to the one that preceded it and to the ║ │
│║ one that succeeded it. Truth is, the material in ║ │
│║ question sounds like it was made by a band ║ │
│║ younger than the Machine Head of 1994. While I ║ │
│║ would never classify it as nⁿ-metal, there's a ║ │
│║ sense of youth close to many alternative metal ║ │
│║ and grunge bands of the same era. And yes, this ║ │
│║ album stands below Burn My Eyes. Fault? The fact ║ │
│║ that Chris Kontos left the band, replaced by ║ │
│║ Dave McClain (ex-Sacred Reich). While I admire ║ │
│║ McClain's talent as a drummer, he is undeniably ║ │
│║ slower and less technical than Kontos. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ As a direct consequence of McClain's entry, much ║ │
│║ of the technicality that marked Burn My Eyes is ║ │
│║ lost, replaced by fast hardcore-like moments of ║ │
│║ speed and angry grooves. While this album is ║ │
│║ almost as brutal as its predecessor, a major ║ │
│║ difference can be felt; if 1994's Burn My Eyes ║ │
│║ is an expression of rage against social ║ │
│║ disorder, then 1997's The More Things Change... ║ │
│║ is still an expression of rage, but a different ║ │
│║ one that's less social and more political. The ║ │
│║ lyrical themes now center around inner rage and ║ │
│║ struggle, devoid of any sociopolitical concerns, ║ │
│║ and the music becomes somehow more ║ │
│║ accessible...without, however, becoming weaker ║ │
│║ by any terms. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Musicianship is, as I said before, less ║ │
│║ technical than in 1994, starting with the drums. ║ │
│║ The opening track "Ten Ton Hammer" shows such ║ │
│║ changes from the beginning; the sense of ║ │
│║ precision is somewhat lost. Even in the ⁿber- ║ │
│║ fast "Struck a Nerve" or in the slow anger of ║ │
│║ "The Frontlines", the listener gets the feeling ║ │
│║ that the drums are lower in standard than what ║ │
│║ Kontos used to do. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The very same feeling continues to an extent in ║ │
│║ terms of guitar to the point in which the ║ │
│║ precise grooves of past are replaced by a ║ │
│║ (successful) attempt at sludge metal ("Blood of ║ │
│║ the Zodiac"). The good point here is that the ║ │
│║ less technical style actually works to a great ║ │
│║ extent because Mader and Flynn did not waste the ║ │
│║ aggression of old ("The Frontlines" at 0:40), ║ │
│║ combining it wisely with the new, grunge- ║ │
│║ inspired sludges. It's a formula that pretty ║ │
│║ much works, in fact. Here I admit that some link ║ │
│║ between their older style and their later style ║ │
│║ can be felt, however I would not call it ║ │
│║ important enough. Adam Duce's peculiar (and ║ │
│║ brutal) bass lines continue to be nearly the ║ │
│║ same as they were in Burn My Eyes, helping to ║ │
│║ bring up the decibels (e.g. "Take My Scars") ║ │
│║ when and where they are needed. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Robb Flynn's vocals give the final touch to this ║ │
│║ album. Ironically, his voice sounds younger in ║ │
│║ 1997 than it was in 1994, probably because now ║ │
│║ he uses a more melodic vocal style ("Ten Ton ║ │
│║ Hammer", "Take My Scars"), which is still ║ │
│║ combined with his 1994-ish aggressive thrash ║ │
│║ metallish yelling as well as his more moderate ║ │
│║ vocals such as in the verses of "Spine". If I ║ │
│║ had to pick up one of his vocal passages ║ │
│║ throughout the whole album and elect it as his ║ │
│║ triumph, I'd definitely pick "Blood of the ║ │
│║ Zodiac", more specifically his last minute of ║ │
│║ incredible melodious shouting. It may as well be ║ │
│║ one of his best performances ever. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ A lot of controversy will always surround ║ │
│║ Machine Head, especially since 1999. The ║ │
│║ constant evolution of their musical style is the ║ │
│║ main reason, and many of their fans will argue ║ │
│║ that their first 2 albums were their finest ║ │
│║ hour, including me to be honest. Other people ║ │
│║ will say that this album was the beginning of ║ │
│║ their failure. I must disagree. All they did was ║ │
│║ pick their groove thrash style and make it more ║ │
│║ accessible and not necessarily worse. In fact, ║ │
│║ it features a lot more variety than Burn My ║ │
│║ Eyes. Machine Head would only fail after this, ║ │
│║ especially four years after, under the period in ║ │
│║ which they had Ahrue Luster on guitar. I highly ║ │
│║ recommend this album to fans of '90s ║ │
│║ metal/groove thrash and especially to people who ║ │
│║ are starting to get into metal. It's no Burn My ║ │
│║ Eyes, but it is still an excellent album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Ten Ton Hammer [04:14] │
│ 02 - Take My Scars [04:20] │
│ 03 - Struck A Nerve [03:30] │
│ 04 - Down to None [05:28] │
│ 05 - The Frontlines [05:51] │
│ 06 - Spine [06:36] │
│ 07 - Bay of Pigs [03:46] │
│ 08 - Violate [07:20] │
│ 09 - Blistering [04:58] │
│ 10 - Blood of the Zodiac [06:38] │
│ 11 - The Possibillity of Life's Destruction [bo [01:31] │
│ 12 - My Misery [bonus Track] [04:42] │
│ 13 - Colors [bonus Track] [04:41] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [63:35 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
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│ │
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