Striking an exquisite balance between brute force, insistent melody and bold experimentation, this is the finest mainstream metal album of 2014 by a huge margin.
It's the more textured and dynamic moments that raise this Herculean slab of cutting edge heaviness into the realms of a stone cold classic. [Jan 2015, p.114]
This album is great, and I'm not even a metal fan. There is so much layered in the instrumentals, with interesting solos riff, and aThis album is great, and I'm not even a metal fan. There is so much layered in the instrumentals, with interesting solos riff, and a surprising amount of variety from the vocals. Containing both deep meaningly lyrics and kick ass music, Bloodstone & Diamonds does not disappoint and makes my top album of 2014.…Expand
Awesome album! After all of the legal issues surrounding the band, I had all but written these guys off.. I am so glad I didn't.. The bandAwesome album! After all of the legal issues surrounding the band, I had all but written these guys off.. I am so glad I didn't.. The band has combined the best elements from their last two records and have made a fantastics blend of the two.…Expand
This album continues the streak of incredible music that has been consistently created by these modern metal masters. There is a balanceThis album continues the streak of incredible music that has been consistently created by these modern metal masters. There is a balance present here that not many metal albums have. It is a delicate thing to create a metal album that satisfies that unrelenting demand for audio brutality without becoming a repetitive blur of recycled riffs. Machine Head has achieved this on each of their last 4 releases. This is an astonishing achievement considering the line-up changes and legal issues that the band has been dealing with. Machine Head suffered through an identity crisis in the early 2000's only to reinvent themselves into one of the strongest forces in metal today. They have truely mastered their own sound while continuing to push the boundries and try to new things on each album. The one thing that stands out the most to me is Rob Flynns vocals, I can't really express enough how impressed I am with his own progression vocally. From the very crude vocals on Burn my Eye's, to the cringe worthy rap metal style of Burning Red, Flynn seemed to be finding his own identity as both a musician and vocalist. He has evolved into one of the best vocalists in metal today, and at this point his roar and melodic tone are nothing short of iconic. Machine Heads sound is now iconic, and Bloodstone and Diamonds does not dissapoint on any front.…Expand
Machine Head uses this album to deliver an incredible example of the beauty and power that the metal genre can contain in the right hands. TheMachine Head uses this album to deliver an incredible example of the beauty and power that the metal genre can contain in the right hands. The results are fantastic. Bloodstone & Diamonds can serve as a powerful introduction to the genre, as well as a heavy blast of top-notch metal to genre enthusiasts.
With political themes in the lyrics, the band touches on some meaningful topics. The sounds doesn't stray too far away from what was offered in their previous album "Unto the Locust." Instead the band takes the sound and expands and improves upon it in important and effective ways.
Added orchestral sections boost the band's already excellent instrumentals. You won't be hearing the standard metal riffs and solos here. Just about everything in the band's sound is fresh. Frontman Robb Flynn shows even more vocal range from a variety of deep screams and growls and striking clean vocals.
I have to give special praise to the album's metal ballads. Sail into the Black is a haunting that just does things I wouldn't have thought to expect from the band. Damage Inside comes so very close to rivaling Darkness Within. They are two incredible songs, just like the rest of the album.
Well, almost the rest of the album. If there's one shortcoming it has it would be the instrumental track Imaginal Cells. For starters it's not totally an instrumental track. Overtop of the band's work are excerpts from the audiobook Spontaneous Evolution. Sorry, but I want to hear the band's music, not some dude rambling on about crap I don't care about with the band's work in the background. I'm okay with the band expressing their political and other views. However this track goes to far by having that take precedent over the music itself. Given how fantastic the band's sound is here, that's almost a darn crime.
Still, the majority of this album is some of the heaviest and most well-executed metal I've ever heard. A step up from Unto the Locust and probably most of the band's other work. This is a must listen to for fans of the genre, because it shows the genre at some of it's best moments. Machine Head delivered another incredible work. One worth a look for those who just enjoy good music.
Bloodstone & Diamonds. A well produced, undeniably solid collection of songs performed with gusto. It's no The Blackening or Burn My Eyes, butBloodstone & Diamonds. A well produced, undeniably solid collection of songs performed with gusto. It's no The Blackening or Burn My Eyes, but it's definitely one of the better albums Machine Head has produced. There isn't a single song on here that I dislike, although there is a slight sag from 'Sail into the Black' through 'Beneath the Silt' - not to say these are bad songs, just that they fail to stand out among the rest of the albums punchy tracks. From opener 'Now We Die's blend of savage verses and sweeping symphonic chorus to 'Game Over's gradual build to a catchy yet breakneck progression, Bloodstone & Diamonds features a smattering of great tracks, a number of which have become live staples and rightly so.
Now, this begs the question. If this album is as good as I, and those crazy critics say it is, then why don't we hear about it more? The answer to that is simple. You see, Machine Head has songs like Imperium - It's a god damn monster and Machine Head has a decent collection of songs that are of a comparable quality, taken from a series of different albums throughout their career. So here's the issue: None of those songs come from Bloodstone & Diamonds. Don't get me wrong, there isn't a single bad song on this album, but there isn't an Imperium either. Machine Head went and set the water mark so damn high that a killer album like this couldn't break the surface despite it not inherently doing a single thing wrong. You could say it missed out on that fluke, on that lucky song that would propel the album forward. Now We Die is almost that song, but almost just doesn't cut it.
So, should you listen to Bloodstone & Diamonds? Absolutely, it's a great album and potentially one somewhat underappreciated by Machine Head fans - all the more reason YOU should appreciate it. There may be no breakout track here, but there's no bad tracks either. This album is an enjoyable listen from beginning to end and I cannot help but recommend it wholeheartedly.…Expand
Bloodstone & Diamonds by Machine Head. A german Review.
Was ist das denn? Nach dem überragenden The Blackening und der zumindest teilweiseBloodstone & Diamonds by Machine Head. A german Review.
Was ist das denn? Nach dem überragenden The Blackening und der zumindest teilweise sehr guten Unto The Locust ist dieses Album ein Griff ins Klo.
Unterirdisch: 1/10…Expand
