The numerical repetition of 1111 is hallowed. Often misinterpreted when seen as an opportunity to ‘make a wish’, its occurrence signifies so much more than an act of blind faith; it is a powerful indication of divine timing for new beginnings or spiritual reawakenings, overseen and guided by matching universal energy.
Knowing the long history of purpose with which MACHINE HEAD approach their music, there is little doubt that the release of the band’s eleventh album, UNATØNED, and concurrent announcement ending an 11-year hiatus from the US & European festival circuits, was mindful of this numerological phenomenon.
Immediately reinforcing this mindful behaviour, is the recurrence of stylised elements first introduced in UNATØNED’s predecessor, ØF KINGDØM & CRØWN. The capitalisation of title and tracks, as well as the inclusion of the Latin lettering, is maintained, as is the service of Seth Siro Anton in creating the album’s ‘distorted dream mirror’ artwork.
Speculatively a continuation of 2022’s conceptual theme, UNATØNED seems an intentional representation of Machine Head’s unabating and uncompromising determination to persist – powerfully as individuals and as a group, and more broadly as stalwart representatives of the heavy metal community.
Introducing the audience to the LANDSCAPE ØF THØRNS are a single set of footsteps and building guitar reverberations which infer the ambience of OK&C’s post-apocalyptic landscape. The instrumental eeriness supplemented by a brief barline of off-tune keys launches into the cataclysm of ATØMIC REVELATIØNS.
Founder Robb Flynn’s unmistakable tenor is intensified by bassist Jared McEachern’s chorus harmonies, in only the second minute of the secondary track reaching incendiary levels courtesy of Machine Head’s newest member Reece Scrugg’s screeching guitar solo and Matt Alston’s penetrating drumbeat that pound in tandem to introduce UNATØNED.
The churning behemoth testament to Machine Head’s vow to ‘never forget’ their dual commitments to groove and thrash metal genres, UNATØNED is already an act of ‘momentum’ showcasing ‘creative discipline and the hunger to move forward’. Exemplified by ØUTSIDER’s opening line, ‘Let the new era begin’, this is ‘Machine-fucking-Head’ in 2025.
Epic in its own right, the familiarly named Not Long For This World ignites memories in this Slipknot fanatic’s mind of Machine Head’s support of the Iowan’s 2008 world tour. Soaring symphonies and almost constant vocal harmonies invite us to ‘behold the gods of every black eternity’, before lead single, THESE SCARS WØN’T DEFINE US, closes UNATØNED’s first act.
Arguably more effective later in the second scene, the resplendent intermission track DUSTMAKER’s femininity is echoed by Flynn’s manly choral, opening the third lead single, BØNECRUSHER. ‘A song about love lost’ shifts the album’s context from global to personal grief.
Alston’s frenetic drumming resurges ‘over and over’ in ADDICTED TØ PAIN. Nu-metal inflections subtle at first are capricious in BLEEDING ME DRY. The album’s longest track shifting between triphoppy lamentations and aggressive attacks at matrimony destroyed, these are the SHARDS ØF SHATTERED DREAMS.
