A Ten Ton Hammer, who gave himself pulled the teeth!

If a shark pulling teeth, you might still have a powerful machine of nature in front of him, but the mighty bite is then been lost. And if you then also supported this shark fins, then only is more the fearsome Finn, which juts out of the water, a sign that you had it once dealing with a powerful and driving strong force of nature that one now only can be dangerous if you engaged her daring on the body. So much for the symbolic association, which perhaps can not help themselves when Machine Head's Unto the Locust once again in the CD player turns their rounds.

After more than five years Machine Head have returned with a new studio album, which, at this point mentioned with necessary emphasis, in any case is far too long and is now hopefully not be repeated with 'Unto The Locust'. The reviews could not control the superlative, which is always dangerous in advance and no later than after 20 Pre-listening has to be here just pointed decidedly that here Metal Hammer Review, which was indeed written interesting and entertaining not only, so despite all subjectivity simply not true. Something other than the praises given the standing in the wings house Special Edition was not to be expected here by the renowned magazine. But enough of the long, modest speech without relevance and for review of Unto the Locust, showing sincere, what you get, considering the new CD leads to mind, which, however, and so much had already betrayed, definitely not a 'board' is as described in a previous speaker a little bold Summarium, provided that it should be referred to the supposed power that is inherent in the album.

I am Light

The opening track of 'Unto The Locust', the Sonata in C # begins to calm and memories of 'Clenching the Fists of Dissent' wake up automatically when the song is preparing to do the same to his counterpart on the last album, and gradually to build up the necessary preparations for an uncontrollable storm of forces of nature meets. Although comparison with previous albums are not always productive, the past, however, also belongs to each one of us and therefore also 'Unto the Locust' is not appraised completely isolated from its predecessors. While 'Clenching the Fists of Dissent' this same storm in his indescribable brutality falls on the handset, darkened the sky and the heavy guitars as machinery of mining put everything in ruins, the storm draws in 'I am Hell' just the armed men listeners over, thunder and lightning here and there, even the wind is blowing, but the scenery is not affected by the bustle. Everything starts strong, melancholic and oppressive until the drums and the guitars are unleashed (should). First marches 'I am Light' in classic Machine Head fashion forward, even if the whole thing a bit powerless anmutet despite the high frequency and a thumping clocking. By no later than 4:30 minutes is then found what the problem of 'I am Light' and 'Unto The Locust' is: Progressive and pretentious infatuation of the left hand with the wrong end of the guitar neck. Powerful it is only at the end, when the heavy riffs be brought out again and the double bass the muscles, which is needed for the headbanging, again incorporated power. But 'I am Hell' does not die with an energetic cannon shot, it turns once again the acting in the foreground melody and dies a slow and painful death in Fadeout!

Fast and melodic the game continues with the strings in 'Be Still And Know' on and an indescribably tense atmosphere that promises great things, built. After that, the whole song is a bit more rushed forward, groove and thrash metal are recognizable, even if production looks a little ironed because corners, edges and rough and distorted surfaces you're looking for in the waxed world of 'Unto The Locust' somehow vain. The chorus looks epic, sucks the energy of the song, however, as a spirit nebulized melancholy and really wants selbiger not get going after. How many Machine Head songs live on a supposed end, a continuous build toward a climax, when everything threatens in the end to explode again, the entire song the crown is put on and the instruments give nearly their minds, as in 'A Nation on Fire ',' None but my own ',' Vim 'or' empire 'was the case, to name only a handful in a inexhaustible source. Even with 'Be Still And Know' you wait eagerly for the explosion at the end, everything looks after, from, the anticipation is growing, and then, if you can not wait longer, that the guitars with the necessary precision, speed and hardness at Adam Duce's powerfully marching bass response, as has been achieved in 'Beautiful Mourning' exemplary and McClains Drums again foist the entire wagon the turbocharger, happens ..... right .... absolutely nothing and digested before these horrors has, as the song is already over, no fireworks and no explosion.

Locust is one of the strongest tracks on the album. Every time you would be right, if you can hear the unmistakable and epic intro, no matter if from a nail ends Drum game, in which the energy during the complete intros like an electric in Advance or Final Mix, which is followed charge has been dammed, discharges with a unbelievable force. Then you would be a little longer desired the heavy riffs, but from start to finish this march Groove Metal grenade that it hardly allows one to sit quietly to stay on Machine Heads path to perfect metal song towards goal, without thereby losing in unnecessary melodies, withdraw the songs as a generator to power. It is quite different here in the solo part of 'Locust', which can not only listen with your eyes closed, but also has to feel right. A heavy guitar concludes its energy slowly comes as on-drying cement to a standstill, completes this never boring expectant Metal grenade.

This is the end starts of course, how could it be otherwise, with a melodic intro that's nice to hear, but also one could accompany the land of dreams, because if not then still the drums would demand a lot of the boxes. But as soon as you press a little here on the Tube, destroy either the unnecessary melodious game or indeed fast but somehow still powerless acting guitars that sometimes look a bit like Metalcore and less on Groove / Thrash Metal, the flow of energy, which is usually only a direction knows - directly forward like a bulldozer. But when you hardly dared even to think leaves a bright spot, a brief power surge in 'this is the end', to return bales still puzzled-looking and holding for recurring patterns out Machine Head listeners for a moment his fists.

After leaving the ballad 'The Darkness Within' behind him, because you just can not use in spite of its beauty at the moment, as long as you still desperately looking for a sledgehammer on the album, comes with 'Pearls Before The Swine' already the penultimate track on the CD. Also this gene marched forward, although here one more time a little now and then miss the innovation let end guitar game that always looks like a tightly drawn dishes before powerful horses and selbige simply can not march, the Song steals the power. After that we will melodic again and despite the gently in the background lactating Drums could hear the song even when Sunday stroll; Associations this way in any event be awakened. But then, at least for a moment of standstill, the break, the break and the calm before the storm if the instruments are stalled and it comes with the extra portion of power to the last gasp. Unfortunately, nothing like many songs on The Blackening, Ashes, Supercharger, Burn My Eyes and The More Things Change.

Before you know it, you are at the last song on the album. A strong number that comes to the point immediately after the children's choir without detours. This song could also motivate the powerless most supporters and breathe into it new strength, new energy and new life. From the beginning, this song seems to chase itself and never catch up, always faster and more aggressive until then a 100% classic Machine Head Break a chorus catchy character heralds that one has not heard for so long. No narcissistic Notenhatz, not get lost in the jungle of speed and high tones that are beyond the songs the power, heavy riffs full of energy, power and a more present bass, the next a thumping drums all the obstacles that one in life, whether in itself transferred or in the literal sense, open up, can shatter. Then predominates towards the end even with 'Who we are' the melodic concept which like a red thread through Unto The Locust and as a tool of a dentist, of this Ten Ton Hammer with all his strength wrests teeth acts.

Unto The Locust combines not what Machine Head has not 'at least most' identified. For all the love and as hard as it is for me to say this, but hand on heart, this record simply lack the strength, the power, the power. Unto the Locust is a sovereign Metal CD that will turn with me again in the player's lap, but the direction of energetic sledgehammer, a bulldozer that seems to know no stop sign, a harsh and explosive fireworks that no stone others can, how it is actually used by Machine Head, towards a oriented to the melody to the complexity and to the progressive metal, the sovereign and more or less no edges, no corners and no extreme outbursts, with too little power Power comes, time and again lacks the reference to the roots and now and then acts as though a Popproduzent at work have been, is not what would have been desirable. From 'board' or 'wrecking ball' you this time, unfortunately, again at a distance, because the motto should read simply: harder, fast, loud, and better by the biggest storm to the summit of the Metal Olympus. So, release the handbrake again, charge batteries again and cut the next time again with full force in the strings. Since it is Machine Head and can still provide just about anything in the shadows 'only himself not' there are 3.5 / 5!