Machine Head - The More Things Change... (1997)^{Release ID: 2989}

I forgot all about Machine Head straight after Burn My Eyes if I am honest. I did not bother to listen to them again until The Blackening some thirteen years later which I recall was one of those return-to-the-scene records after a brief hiatus. I stated in my review for The Blackening that after their debut Machine Head had “strayed off into nu-metal-tinged releases more or less immediately”. That had been an uninformed comment given that I had not heard anything between the two above records (until today).

Now don’t get me wrong, there is nu-metal influence on The More Things Change… there is no denying those vibes on the likes of The Frontlines. However, this is not a wholesale change of style from their previous offering, it is much more subtle than that. Think of Chaos AD era Sepultura when the band started to move away for their traditional thrash roots into a more accessible territory and you are on a similar trajectory with Machine Head here – albeit they are both coming from different points.

Thinking about it, for me to assume there is only one good Machine Head album is a dumb thought process on reflection and even though I am not about to go on and wax lyrical about their sophomore release, I am going to go on record as saying it has been an enjoyable discovery. Skipping straight over the poor opening track, the album gets off on a great footing from tracks two through seven. Therein you will find a blend of familiar groove metal with some punky vibes (Struck A Nerve) and some pummelling riffage to boot. Although never quite reaching the highs of the debut, this album contains enough references to it to make The More Things Change… remind me of how little had changed at this point.

Unfortunately, there is an obvious and consistent drop in quality for the final three tracks. Here is where the nu-metal influence starts to dilute the more aggressive groove elements instead of adding any true grit to them. Although final track, Blood of the Zodiac tries to make a late play for it, the pass is overcooked and lands some distance away from where it was intended to. There is then an atmosphere of disappointment as I exit the record but I cannot deny that when it is on form, this album is a killer groove metal disc, not a million miles away from it’s predecessor.