2006-12-16
Sometimes all you need to have a good album, is having good songs, nothing too shabby, nothing too special, just writing good songs, and Germany's Main Machine have accomplished just that with this 5 track EP, its heavy metal with thrash elements and some more modern elements thrown in as well, but what makes this work is the solid performance from all band members and some well written songs, and that's quite enough for me.
The title song marries aggressive, thrash-like guitar riffs with strong melodic vocals added by some growled ones, a simple structure and interesting use of sound makes this a perfectly laid track, it’s a combination of old and new school and it just works.
Same goes for "Protecting Hands", an old school metal riff with a Dimebag Darrel tinge, and some harder melodic vocals, again, not overly complex, just straight-forward heavy metal in which all the ingredients work.
It continues on the same vein more or less, "Without You" has the same basic ingredient, the strong vocals are a good focal point for the band, the more modern use of keyboards are a nice addition, if a bit unneeded. "Come To Daddy" is heavier stuff, thrash riffs with some growled vocals, but these guys make it work because they have what it takes where it counts – the music. "Crack Brained Sucked" is more melodic and American sounding, almost grungy, with some fantastic guitar work, later on it just thrashes out heart out; the bass lick in the middle is great too.
This EP just goes to show you, you don’t need masturbatory show-off playing, or grandiose melodies to create solid heavy metal, you just need to write good songs.
Alon Miasnikov
