Unique and Bold with Some Missteps
Robb Flynn and the boys are back with a much anticipated effort in 2018. Catharsis is the next installment in a long discography of ass kicking and metal riffing, and the band really took this chance to expand on their sound. The band’s longest studio LP to date, the 15 track Catharsis hits all the Machine Head sweet spots, but also has some undeniable drawbacks.
In anticipation for this release, Machine Head released three singles: “Beyond the Pale,” “Catharsis” and “Bastards.” Each of those songs proved to be an accurate introduction to the album, but they are far from the best selections on the LP. Both “Beyond the Pale” and “Catharsis” ooze classic straightforward Machine Head with their driving guitars and coarse vocal delivery, but also fall into a bland continuation of the baseline expectations of every Machine Head fan.
However, “Bastards” stood out as something unique for the band. Flynn is known for a softer song or two, but this song verges on theatrical and inspirational pop metal in the likeness of bands such as Hellions. Although, the song itself does not translate well in Machine Head’s context as it feels a bit forced and out of place on the album. Machine Head though later remedy this in spades with the beautiful soft guitar work on “Behind A Mask,” which serves as a spectacular soft song on Catharsis.
Most of the album surpasses the singles in complexity and overall power as tracks like “Hope Begets Hope” and “Screaming At The Sun” present back to back metal euphoria in the middle of the LP. These songs represent Machine Head at their best with a seamless and beautiful incorporation of clean vocals on “Screaming At The Sun” and raw driving riffs on “Hope Begets Hope.” “Kaleidoscope” also presents some stellar aggression as it makes use of the classic Machine Head pinch harmonic breakdowns at the 2:30 minute mark.
Even though some songs on Catharsis translate well, many are deeply flawed. “Triple Beam” is a repetitive and dull work with odd spoken word pieces, and the lyrics in “California Bleeding” are incredibly cringeworthy. Something about “Don’t give a fuck if I’m bad, the fuckin’ rodents down at Disneyland” just sends unfortunate shivers down the spine.
Overall, Machine Head gave listeners a lot to think about on this new album. Catharsis has points of absolute triumph, indifference and detriment all right next to each other. Being a 15 song LP, that may be due to the album’s length, but Machine Head clearly tried to push boundaries in multiple directions with their work here. While that helped a few tracks pop, it did cause some of the album to fall flat. Catharsis stands as a sign to Machine Head fans that the band is trying to experiment and innovate with new ideas, which lends itself to a wishful and exciting future for the metal veterans. However, Catharsis stands as an inconsistent album with a few high points.
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