Back in 2007, the world was graced with one of the very best metal albums ever released. And it came from a very unlikely source. You see, Machine Head, while they did improve on each album, was always ‘just a metal band’. Their albums were good, they had their sound, and they stayed firmly in their lane.
All that changed when The Blackening exploded onto the scene. Heralded as one of the albums of the decade by Kerrang, earning universal praise from every critic and sitting on a very impressive rating of 9.5/10 across the board, The Blackening forced Machine Head into the forefront of every conversation about the future of the genre. Suddenly everyone was paying attention.
Now, 15 years later, we have, what I’d argue, is the album that manages to top that legendary release. And it’s not even released yet! We have to wait until August 26th to experience this latest offering in full.
Of Kingdom and Crown is the biggest reinvention of the band yet. And that’s no hyperbole. A guitarist and drummer change will tend to bring in fresh ideas and give a band new direction. And it helps when both have their roots in the extreme end of the metal world. Decapitated guitarist Wacław Kiełtyka and Devilment drummer Matt Alston are well known in the black metal scene, and their fingerprints are all over this album.
The most impressive display of this is of course Become The Firestorm. This five-minute sensory assault absolutely blew me away off the first time I heard it. And it continues to blow my socks off on every subsequent listen. To really understand why, you have to understand the differences between metal and black metal. Once you realize these genres are just about chalk and cheese can you begin to fully grasp the brilliance on display.
Physically playing instruments for black metal is very, very, different to playing other metal sub-genres. This song manages to move between black metal riffs, blast beat drumming, traditional groove metal and soaring solos. And it does it oh so seamlessly. Their musicianship is on full display with this song as it shows off their ability to blend so many styles together. And, impressively, have it all work. For instance, you have black metal riffs overlayed with clean, harmonic vocals. I’m sure it’s been done before, but has it been done this well? I’m inclined to say not until now.
Something else of note within this powerhouse of a song – each time the chorus and bridge come around, it’s slightly different. Almost jazz-like in the way it takes the initial melody and bends it. I have no other way to describe it, apart from you’ll understand when you listen. Without a doubt, each and every song on this album will be able to be taken apart like this.
This album hammers home that Machine Head has gone out to make the defining metal album of the 2020s. In my opinion, this album surpasses The Blackening on every front.
And it’s not even out yet!
