Staying relevant in the music industry is quite a bit more difficult in today’s overflow of artists and bands trying to make a name. Machine Head is just as much an impact today as they were when their debut album, Burn My Eyes, was released in 1994. Catharsis does an amazing job of capturing a bit of influence from the entire band’s discography with something that everyone can enjoy. Machine Head has never been afraid to mix and mash music that has never fallen on ears before, and this album continues with this trend.
Catharsis is the perfect title for the band’s 9th studio album. This album is completely filled with emotions and messages that are expressed through heavy riffs, groovy beats, and even some amazing ballads such as “Bastards” or “Eulogy”. Machine Heads delivery with this album is completely phenomenal. It’s also worth mentioning that the album is 15 tracks with a decent length for each song, so the listener is getting a quality piece of work with also a great amount of quantity. In these days for an artist to put together, such a lengthy and quality album is quite rare, this is just one more reason that Machine Head is not a band that metalheads need to be sleeping on.
The overall tone of this album is very dark with some realism. Catharsis touches on everything like the song “Triple Beam”, which focuses on the reality of being involved with drugs and street life and the dangers that can entail, or the latest single “Kaleidoscope”, that focuses on going through life and having to fight through the grind while people doubt you. It almost feels like vocalist Robb Flynn knows what all of us go through on a daily basis and he is speaking to every one of Machine Head’s listeners.
What a way to start off the metal year of 2018 with this banger of an album, Catharsis. It’s musically some of the most experimental and quality works of art that Machine Head have put together in their illustrious 14-year career. It’s obvious that the band has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. A Machine Head fan will have something to look forward to in every song, whether it is a message of coming together as one, or just to sit back and enjoy the amazing tunes that these guys have worked so hard to put together.
