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Unto the Locust
by
Unto the Locust Image
Metascore
91

Universal acclaim - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.9

Universal acclaim- based on 55 Ratings

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  • Record Label: Roadrunner Records
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal, Speed/Thrash Metal
  • More Details and Credits »

Top Track

Locust
Sweet caress Grazes my skin It's loveless These hooks sink in Behind an angel's disguise An insect preys Mandibles cut like a knife The... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. The Guardian
    Nov 17, 2011
    100
    This is a gloriously brave and vibrant piece of work and the most significant metal album of 2011 by some distance.
  2. Kerrang!
    Nov 17, 2011
    100
    While Unto The Locust has much within it that will appeal to unreconstructed customers, parts of this work showcase a unit whose creative appetites are still restless and free.
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Revolver
    Nov 17, 2011
    90
    Unto the Locust isn't just a great album, it's an important statement that metal doesn't have to fall into trite categories or draw from pre-existing formulas to be accessible.
  4. BBC Music
    Nov 17, 2011
    90
    For metalheads who like their music sharp and executed without recourse to compromise, then this is a contender for genre album of the year.
  5. Pitchfork
    Nov 17, 2011
    77
    Unto the Locust does fall off a bit toward the end, but that's largely because the first four tracks add up to just under 30 minutes of the most exciting metal you'll hear all year.
  6. AllMusic
    Jan 18, 2012
    70
    Machine Head is still a force in modern heavy metal.

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. parenter
    Oct 8, 2016
    10
    10/10
    I love every song from the album. Especially I Am Hell, Locust, This is the end and Darkness Within (I listen to it everyday).
    Machine    10/10
    I love every song from the album. Especially I Am Hell, Locust, This is the end and Darkness Within (I listen to it everyday).
    Machine Head is best modern metal band.    … Expand
  2. Hippopocranuse
    Dec 14, 2020
    10
    Machine Head have often been a hit-and-miss band. They started out with the groove metal and mosh-pit inducing 'Burn My Eyes' that skyrocketedMachine Head have often been a hit-and-miss band. They started out with the groove metal and mosh-pit inducing 'Burn My Eyes' that skyrocketed them into the mainstream with just their debut album. That's impressive to say the least. What followed showed the flaws of Machine Head just as quickly as rising to the top. Such records are the nu-metal nuanced 'The Burning Red' and 'Supercharger.'
    And since 'The Blackening' is nowhere to be found on Metacritic, I'll just share that this album is a MASTERPIECE! A modern monolith of heavy metal that cemented Machine Head as a dominant force in all of metal.

    What followed after the HUGE SUCCESS of 2007's 'The Blackening' is 2011's effort 'Unto The Locust.'
    It's hard to create a masterpiece album that's loved by all fans. It's even more hard to make a follow-up that's just as good as their previous album.

    From the death metal influenced 'I Am Hell (Sonata in C#),' to the gold melodic sections and devastating breakdowns of 'Locust.' From the deep choruses of 'Be Still And Know' and 'This Is The End,' to the power ballad of 'Darkness Within' that finishes with a stomp capable of tearing down walls. From the thrashiness of 'Pears Before the Swine,' to the riff-overloaded 'Who We Are' and a calm-after-the-storm violin that closes the album out in style.

    'Unto The Locust' is nothing short of a yet another masterpiece worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with 'The Blackening' as their most shining pearls to the crown. With a top-notch production that only adds to the overall experience, you're in for a treat of pure and carefully crafted heavy metal that proves modern metal is just as good, if not better than last-century defining albums.

    While Machine Head have their dull moments, they more than make up for it with records that erase all doubts and prove they aren't a fluke band - but more than that, with records that stand the test of time and are worthy of their own Golden Thrones atop the Heavy Metal Mountain.    … Expand
  4. Fardin
    May 26, 2013
    10
    i think the album is compeletely awsome, i can not find any overrate songs in this. this is one of the best heavy metal album in 2011, anyonei think the album is compeletely awsome, i can not find any overrate songs in this. this is one of the best heavy metal album in 2011, anyone who gave this a bad score is an IDIOTTTTTTTTTT… Expand
  5. Shady313
    May 2, 2015
    9
    9/10 .................................................................................................................................................
  6. Andremax
    Oct 30, 2018
    8
    It's right that Machine Head isn't too original, but the interesting that bands for whom they catches their influences has quality, whichIt's right that Machine Head isn't too original, but the interesting that bands for whom they catches their influences has quality, which reflects in their songs and when you least expect it, you already listened entire album.… Expand
  7. Hank_Shrader
    Jan 12, 2016
    7
    Unto The Locust by Machine Head. A german review.
    Ganz das Level des Vorgängeralbums kann Unto The Locust nicht halten. War The Blackening    Unto The Locust by Machine Head. A german review.
    Ganz das Level des Vorgängeralbums kann Unto The Locust nicht halten. War The Blackening ein Meilenstein der jüngeren Thrashgeschichte, ist Unto the Locust eben "nur" ein gutes Album, welchem man die kommerzielle Ausrichtung nicht ganz ausschlagen kann. So ist z.B. mit This Is The End ein waschechter Metalcoresong enthalten, welcher die Fans der jüngsten Stunde ansprechen soll. Naja, so ist für jeden was dabei. Gut, oder auch: 7/10    … Expand
  8. MarcusMarcus
    Apr 10, 2013
    3
    Overblown and melodramatic, like much of their work. It just feels so fake. No where near as good as The Blackening. I deleted this and likeOverblown and melodramatic, like much of their work. It just feels so fake. No where near as good as The Blackening. I deleted this and like to pretend it doesn't exist. Everyone who gave this album a good score is an idiot.… Expand

See all 10 User Reviews

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