Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Machine Head - Burn My Eyes (1994)

Machine Head isn't totally bad. I just can't get myself into enjoying a huge lot of this band, and with this band being an important developer of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, it's kind of a tragedy for my enjoyment of the movement. Machine Head was formed by frontman Robb Flynn in the early 90s after he left thrash metal band Vio-lence following a violent altercation. His time with Vio-lence was when mullet-headed metalheads where in a moshing frenzy from all that vicious thrash. Soon the idea of groove metal's mid-tempo breakdowns and tribal tattoos begin to roll into popularity, and thrash bands began to add accessibility to their heaviness. Trying to find something to enjoy from Robb Flynn's new-band-experience, Machine Head has only given me a dull bruise instead of the battering moshing I needed...

Honestly though, Burn My Eyes has built up a bit from the thrashy origin of Flynn's career. After his time with thrash, Flynn and co. began taking more inspiration from Biohazard, Pantera, and Sepultura's Chaos AD. These influences are injected into the thrash sound for the band's own brand of groove metal, with occasional hip-hop chords. The band didn't really have the hardcore credit or Pantera personality in the riffs and vocals. Burn My Eyes shows the band making a fine balance between dynamics and atmosphere to please some metalheads. The drum thunder rolls to make the primal riffing more bloodthirsty. The bass by Adam Duce is good and thick. Robb Flynn can really shout like a caveman, and I don't mean that as an insult. He can encourage you f***ing jump through the tempos and riffs like other bands from their record label Roadrunner. Also add to the groove is some mechanical guitar leads that would remind some of Prong at that time.

Listeners ready to tune in will be struck by the massive punch of "Davidian" that can be considered the Godflesh "Like Rats" of groove metal. "Old" is a brilliant track here. If you've been listening to metal for a long time like I have, the enjoyment depends on what you're really into. Still the aggression can get you headbanging in no time. It should be noted though the vocals might not be for fans of Pantera who expect Phil Anselmo's southern accent. Some might also think of Sacred Reich there! The vocals in "A Thousand Lies" kinda make a goofy take on Biohazard. The less confident "None But My Own" sounds dull in the clean vocals. The groove breakdown isn't really their best way of imitating Pantera at that time. Fortunately, the structural machinery shows that the band knows who and what they are.

"The Rage to Overcome" sounds like it continues from the previous track, though never really a stinker. "Death Church" is once again reminiscent of Godflesh. Just listen to the riffing that's like that band's extreme industrial riffing, but without the industrial. This is where Flynn has a more authentic mood in the vocals. That's perhaps my favorite track of the album, much more than the similar still massive "Davidian" and slightly above "Old". The lyrics are h*lla catchy and worth driving in your car to, "Hey Jesus, can you help me with my pain, mainline me some religion to keep me sane?" Next up, "A Nation on Fire" is a straight mix of groove and mood while again losing some confidence. Though the thrashy ending will get you geared up for what's next. "Blood for Blood" is the closest to the kick-A thrash of Vio-lence. In all honesty, there should've a few songs as fast as this to replace the somewhat earlier dull Pantera/Biohazard-like tracks to make a solid groove/thrash album. Never mind that, I don't want too much confusion.

"I'm Your God Now" is once again back to that g****mn grunge-ish formula. Nonetheless, Flynn's soft singing sounds the best here, especially during the mid-tempo riffing. The singing sounds grittier when the riffing goes faster. From there, the groove starts rising up to better enjoyment again, getting pretty f***ing close to the earlier highlights. "Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies" is filled with samples of crimes and brutality. Again, the band takes the industrial metal of Fear Factory at that time, but removes the industrial. It's easy to hear how strong Flynn is when facing politics. "This country needs to go under a radical change." Finally, "Block" is back to the Pantera/Biohazard-like groove, though in f***ing catchier form, with the guitar tone being a bit thrashy. Clearly it makes sense when you connect this with the then-recent sound of Sepultura.

Upon seeing what I think of the music and the lyrics in a couple tracks, you might think a lot of the lyrics are received positively from me. The truth is, the lyrics in most of the non-highlight tracks are some of the worst I've heard in groove metal, sounding too cliche in the topic of suffering. The cover art is quite bizarre. The best non-sexual guess I can is a photo merge of a couple headbanging positions. Despite the oddities and lyrical atrocities in half the amount of songs, Burn My Eyes is a decent start to the band's career and I understand the groove metal scene growing from there....

Favorites: "Davidian", "Old", "Death Church", "Blood for Blood", "Block"