Review by UnhinderedbyTalent for Machine Head - Bloodstone & Diamonds (2014)

For all the hate I hear vented on forums at Machine Head for being "unimaginative Metallica riff copying pish! Debut rocks but been downhill since, blah blah" I wonder if there are actually 2 bands with the same name and I am fortunate enough to be hearing the better version of the two?

2011's "Locust" was superb - patchy towards the end but so full of energy and pure raw metal intensity that to recognise it as anything other than a top notch release is ridiculous. With Duce gone you could have been forgiven for thinking "Bloodstone & Diamonds" would be a sub-par effort made by a band struggling with the loss of such a key member. The departure of founding bassist Duce energised Machine Head and the new album was full of riffs, hooks, chops and (again) strings! It was balanced to boot, the romp being mediated by some effective and deliberate pace changes be that mid song or to build a track.

In terms of a mainstream metal album you will find nothing to rival this in the whole of 2014, Flynn has a direction and vision that he has kept going now for eight albums (at time of this release) and whilst "Bloodstone.." does little to reinvent the Machine Head wheel what it does do is cement the expectations fans have come to expect from one of metals long standing groups. Yes the song lengths do need a trim in places but this is never going to be "Burn My Eyes", anyone sat around waiting for another album on par with the debut needs to move the fuck on and realise that for any band in 2014 "Bloodstone.." is an excellent release. Recognise "BME" for what it is and celebrate it for what it was but to benchmark a whole career worth of releases against such an opening release is ridiculous and pointless.

Look instead at the glum. misery of "Sail Into The Black" or the epic proportions of "In Comes The Flood" and see that although the hints of nu-metal are still in the throat of Flynn or on the groove of some riffs ("Beneath The Silt" especially) this was a band matured and perfectly at ease with its standing in the world of metal music. The guitar work on "Bloodstone..." follows on superbly from the brilliance of "Locust" - I am a sucker for dueling six strings and so am very fucking happy with the widdly bits on display here!