MACHINERY – Degeneration

This band hails from Sweden and counts almost six years of activity since it was formed in 2001 by vocalist/guitarist Michael Isberg. In the meantime, Machinery have managed to release four demos and have gone through several line-up changes until 2006. In August of the same year, with a solid line-up, the band entered Necromorbus Studio where they recorded Machinery’s debut album that will be in stores under the title Degeneration.

As soon as the CD starts spinning it becomes clear that the band plays a mixture of Thrash and Heavy Metal with a touch of Progressive. If someone searches for the band’s influences, he’ll eventually bump into the name of Nevermore — with the low-tuned guitars, the fast-tempo breaks, the heavy-as-hell rhythm section, and the complicated guitar solos.

“Salvation For Sale” is a dynamic opener with relentless drumming and fast guitar play, and a great deal of hammer-ons and pull-offs. Michel Isberg’s vocals impress the listener sounding aggressive and powerful with “brutal” and “clean” moments. The riff-driven Thrash track, “Degeneration,” gains some speed until the keyboard break during the chorus, which adds some points in terms of music diversity. Next, is the best track of the album named “River Red” that offers some quality headbanging time and borrows something from Machine Head’s heaviness. Isberg really shines here, presenting his wide vocal range, changing easily his singing profile while performing the catchy and melodic chorus. The powerful intro of “Blacker Than Pain” that features the Haunted-like guitar riff and the bone-crushing bass guitar gives its place to melodic breaks and clean vocals. Some more Nevermore atmosphere can be found in “Unholy Demon,” with the insane guitar leads and fills, followed by “Taste of God” that leans towards melody supported by a keyboard atmosphere and the more than a minute long sophisticated guitar solo.

The main guitar riff on “Rectifier” reminds of the glory days of Carcass during the Heartwork era, while the 8-minute long “Falling Through The Grid” impresses with rhythm complexity and tempo changes. The album closer kicks in with some clean guitar and vocals that have similarities to Rammstein. This song surprises with its strange structure and title, “Satanic Hippie Cannibal,” and the impressive sound production where the tension slowly grows and finally reaches a strong end. The theatrical vocals create a dark and insane atmosphere, proving that the band has some interesting ideas.

Taking into account that this is a debut album, the five-piece band from Sweden will succeed in drawing considerable attention from the Metal scene with their almost original sound. So, while waiting for Machinery’s next recording, go ahead and check them out, especially if you are a Nevermore fan.