2007-09-25
Sweden's
Machinery have pulled off quite an impressive feat with their debut album – Degeneration. The album combines thrash metal, groove and technical metal seamlessly, benefiting from very strong musicianship, fine melodic vocals and a really tight sound. So, is this a prefect album?
Not quite, and the reason is one not many could have suspected, it's not the music, which resembles
Nevermore, only with some odd-time signatures reminiscent of
Meshuggah, and some strong grooves and tuned-down guitars that bring
Machine Head to mind.
It's not the vocals; guitarist/vocalist Michel Isberg has a strong melodic, yet hard-edged voice that brought both Warrel Dane with a hint of fellow countryman Charles Rytkönen (of
Morgana Lefay fame). It's certainly not the almost untouchable guitar playing, with some strong tech riffs and fine melodic solos. It's not the smart and energetic drumming, and it's certainly not the additional keyboard work, which serves the music rather than hinders it, providing the right background without trying to outshine the other instruments.
It's none of those. Guess what?
It's the god damned booklet!! I think I went blind trying to decipher what these people were singing about. Who prints red ink on a black/brown booklet??
If I was willing to ignore the fact these guys made me lose my eyesight, I would certainly point out that opener – Salvation for Sale combines some great complex rhythms with
Nevermore-ish riffing, and that the vocals are melodic yet aggressive enough to make this work, and that a track such as Unholy Demon is frantic thrash/groove metal at it's best, a heavy and fast track that works on all levels.
But I'm not gonna do that, these guys blinded me with red ink and though I wish them all the best in the future, hopefully that can make another album as strong as this one, but if it's red ink again – count me out.
Alon Miasnikov
