Year: 2022
Total Time: 59:22
Label: Nuclear Blast

MACHINE HEAD are a band which for some inexplicable reason, as soon as they seem to reach the top, they show suicidal tendencies. We saw it happen for the first time in 1999, when after the explosion created with their first two albums, they decided to take a sharp turn (influenced of course by the general climate of the time), towards Nu-Metal with the completely indifferent “The Burning Red” and “Supercharger”. At that point, noticing that the fans were starting to abandon them, Rob Flynn returned in 2003 to familiar musical paths with “Through The Ashes of Empires”, to complete the return with 2007’s amazing album, “The Blackening”. We are talking about an album that brought back the name of MACHINE HEAD to the consciousness of the metal world, thus managing to keep them on the surface in the following years, in combination with their remarkable releases.

But because, as the proverb says, “the wolf changes his coat, but not his nature”, in 2018 MACHINE HEAD release the worst album of their career entitled “Catharsis”, a crappy Nu-Metal album, the impact of which will lead the band to the brink of dissolution. As a result Dave McClain and Phil Demmel announced their departure, as they did not agree with this new musical direction. The future of the band seemed uncertain, as both of them were quite involved in the composition of the music. Rob Flynn didn’t give up, he brought back his “old acquaintances” Logan Mader and Chris Kontos to tour for the anniversary of the titanic “Burn My Eyes” album, giving new life to the band. Flynn then recruited Matt Alston on drums and DECAPITATED’s Vogg on guitar as permanent members, creating a solid line-up. With this line-up (bassist Jared MacEachern remained), they began to release a series of singles – the quality of which was not particularly high – that revealed the band’s willingness to return to their familiar sound, while at the same time working on their new album. So we arrive in August 2022, when MACHINE HEAD released the tenth album of their career entitled “Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn”.

The album breaks loose furious with “Slaughter The Martyr”, which takes us back to “The Blackening”, more specifically it reminds us of “Clenching the Fists of Dissent”, while “Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate” and “Become the Firestorm” compose a quite dynamic beginning with Thrash Metal influences and the characteristic groove rhythm of the band. “Overdose”, which follows, works like a rainbow after the storm and as a bridge for “My Hands Are Empty” and “Unhallowed”, in which MACHINE HEAD slow down, emphasizing on the atmosphere and the feeling, while the melodies reveal the love for IRON MAIDEN. A similar approach was previously encountered in “Darkness Within” and “Sail Into The Black”.

An instrumental intro leads us to “Kill Thy Enemies” and “No Gods, No Masters”, which could have been included in the albums “Through the Ashes of Empires” and “Bloodstone & Diamonds”, while “Bloodshot” and “Rotten” are MACHINE HEAD from the old days, as the band emphasizes on volume and groove, reminding us of “The More Things Change…”. Also, if “Rotten” is played in their live shows it will create hellish situations. “Terminus”, the third introductory track of the album, takes us to “Arrows In Words From The Sky”, which moves to more mid tempo and melodic paths, bringing the curtain down on MACHINE HEAD’s dynamic return with “Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn”. As for the production, of course it’s flawless, Colin Richardson had a hand in the mix, while the wonderful cover artwork was created by our very own Seth Siro Anton of SEPTICFLESH.

With everything that happened in the last few years in the MACHINE HEAD camp, and combined with the harsh -but not unfair- criticism that Rob Flynn received from 2018 onwards for releasing the worst album of their career, the return to the classic MACHINE HEAD sound is not a surprise for anyone. Combining mainly ingredients from their albums “Through the Ashes of Empires” and the legendary “The Blackening”, the band releases an album worthy of its name, finally bringing back the smile on the faces of its fans. We could also say that the whole atmosphere of the album and the compositions take us chronologically back to the time when MACHINE HEAD released “Unto The Locust”.

Rob Flynn returns to what he does best, to write quality metallic compositions with Thrash riffs, groove and volume, melodies influenced by classic Heavy Metal and IRON MAIDEN, leaving aside the failed Nu-Metal experiments. In conclusion, “Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn” is a particularly good album that presents the band refreshed and enthusiastic, while it has been born from the combination of all those remarkable components of the band’s musical heritage for which we loved them. Let’s hope that in the future the Americans will not show tendencies of self-destruction, deviating once again from their course.

Rating: 7,5/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: MACHINE HEAD – Official Page