1	SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR
2	CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE
3	BECØME THE FIRESTØRM
4	ØVERDØSE
5	MY HANDS ARE EMPTY
6	UNHALLØWED
7	ASSIMILATE
8	KILL THY ENEMIES
9	NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS
10	BLØØDSHØT
11	RØTTEN
12	TERMINUS
13	ARRØWS IN WØRDS FRØM THE SKY

Machine Head

ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN

---

Genre: Thrash Metal.
Released: 26/08/2022
Via Nuclear Blast

Album Review: Machine Head – ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN

It’s been 4 years since Machine Head released a studio album and with their new concept album titled ‘ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN’ right around the corner, fans have been eager to hear what lies in store from them. This will be the band’s first album with Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka and Matt Alstonbeing as full-time members of the band. Here are my thoughts on the new release.

Opening the album is a track that comes in at over 10 minutes long titled ‘SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR’. As expected, the song takes its time to build up to a more recognizable Machine Head sound but when it gets there it packs all the punch you could want. The band wants to make sure you’re in this for the long run so why not test you off with a much longer track? Following on from that is the track ‘CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE’ which has already landed quite positively with fans of the band. The thrash heavy track has already amassed over 2 million streams on Spotify alone and has a tonne of potential to send a crowd into a frenzy with its incredibly heavy breakdown.

‘BECØME THE FIRESTØRM’ is up next and it does not let up one bit. Bullet-like blast beats accompanied by both clean and raspy vocals are something Machine Head don’t utilize enough but have made it work wonders during this track. Continuing the story within the album ‘ØVERDØSE’ works as an atmospheric break that leads smoothly onto ‘MY HANDS ARE EMPTY’. The opening of this song comes across as larger than life and really fills your mind with the inevitability that something epic is moments away from happening. Once the harmonized guitars start, you know you’re in for a treat. Heavy mixed with subtle in such a smooth manner is something I cannot get enough of. This is a must-listen-to track on the album!

A more emotionally driven track comes in the form of ‘UNHALLØWED’ it tackles some deep issues that are not addressed enough. A song about struggling with depression and finding a place to belong may not be what fans expected from this record however it hits just as hard as everything else and may even help some people fight their own demons.

The album’s second atmospheric break comes in the form of ‘ASSIMILATE’ which sets the tone nicely for ‘KILL THY ENEMIES’. This is the album’s resident head-banging track. A beat with an attitude drives the song forward with no other motive than to destroy the enemies that lie ahead. You better stretch out those neck muscles before giving this one a spin. On the other hand, ‘NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS’ uses a lot of harmonics to captivate the listener’s ears and has some amazing sing-a-long potential.

For those of you who love a circle pit (Which is probably most of you if you’re a Machine Head fan) then ‘BLØØDSHØT’ is the song for you. A fast-paced thrash assault that takes no prisoners comes in late on the record but doesn’t dial down the energy one bit. Going from heavy to heavier, ‘RØTTEN’ uses half-time breakdowns to add a tonne of attitude to the already aggressive track. If this song was a person in a crowd, it would be the bodybuilder literally throwing people across the pit.

As the album draws to its conclusion, you get the third and final Atmospheric break in the form of ‘Terminus’. Slowing the pace right down before ‘ARRØWS IN WØRDS FRØM THE SKY’ subtly takes you away with echoing vocals before unleashing a delicate yet heavy instrumental to sail the album home. It’s not an all-guns blazing ending however it ties the entire concept album together nicely.

It can always be a massive risk doing a concept album as some bands struggle to convert their sound into the story they want to portray however Machine Head has done a stellar job of it here! The band sounds as clean as ever and some of these tracks maybe some of their best work to date. I cannot wait to hear some of these tracks in front of a live audience. Don’t miss your chance to catch these live, as Machine Head are mere weeks away from their co-headline tour with Amon Amarth. Get your tickets for it here (Affiliate Link)!