The difficult second album has arrived from Manchester, England based 4 piece band The Machinist are bringing their Blackened Extreme Metal back to the world, clearly with intent on causing maximum damage and taking no prisoners as they bulldoze everything in their path and enjoy seeing the destruction left in their wake.
The 8 tracks span approximately 43 minutes of utter devastation and shuddering heaviness spawned from questionable beginnings using scything riffs, technical aspects, and bludgeoning drums to form this extreme sound that only a few can do so well.
From the start, the album is just sheer chaotic joy as you’re not sure if your head is being squeezed in a vice or your ear drums are being torn by the sheer pressure of intensity. The simple fact is that it could be either and you would ask for more – such is the greatness.
There is the odd moment of calm, that allows you to try and comprehend what the fuck has gone on and to prepare for what is coming next, however even in those moments you still feel on edge.
The industrial influence that runs throughout makes you feel as grimy as the sound is, like you’re in the smelting pot of instruments, the sound melted and the soot from the heat of the sound covers you and leaves you discoloured and feeling filthy.
The album flies through from start to finish and is it up there with the best albums you are likely to hear this year. That potentially banana skin of a second release has not only been successfully avoided but masterfully built upon and must surely put The Machinist toward the upper echelons of a sound that has generally revolved around Anaal Nathrakh, Akercocke and The Berzerker.
Contempt For Life sounds like you would imagine from the title and clearly was never designed for the masses however is an album that will live in the memory of those of us who enjoy the genre and what can be viewed as a challenging listen, you will thank yourself for pressing play.
If this is a porthole in to what is to come from the band, then the future is as exciting as it is destructive and is something I certainly want to follow.
Contempt For Life will be released Friday 24th January 2025 via InViMa Records.
Review:Ed Ford
Tracklist
1 – Contempt For Life
2 – Cathedrals Fall
3 – Brace
4 – Gog
5 – Demagogue
6 – Magog
7 – Anthropic Mistake
8 – Cracks
Line-up:
Tobias Gray – Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals
John Thompson – Vocals/Keyboards/Drum Programming
George Kal – Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals
Bass performed by Luke Chapman.
Additional vocals on ‘Contempt For Life’ and ‘Cathedrals Fall’ by Scott Walton (Reign Of Erebus)
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