Machine Head
Burn My Eyes

THE REVIEW

1994 was definitely a good year for heavy metal. Max Cavalera and Alex Newport offered the world a barrage like Nailbomb's "Point Blank," Pantera crashed into our headphones with the fury and weight of "Far Beyond Driven," Slayer reaffirmed (though perhaps few think so) their class with the vicious "Divine Intervention," Obituary continued their robust death metal with "World Demise," Bathory abandoned the epic and turned to thrash with "Requiem," and Napalm Death, leaving grind aside, experimented with a groovy death metal, which I found very interesting, like "Fear, Emptiness, Despair," and so on.

But above all, there were Machine Head and their debut "Burn My Eyes".

Let's get one thing clear right away, "Burn My Eyes" is the bloody masterpiece of Flynn and company and would be, for me, obligatorily among the usual 5/6 records to take to a deserted island.

Because "Burn My Eyes" is the ultimate expression of one of the most cohesive, aggressive, and powerful bands I have ever heard, with one of the most charismatic and engaging leaders in the history of heavy metal. "Burn My Eyes" is rage, but it's a rational rage, a targeted rage, aimed at the distortions and injustices of society, a society that today, as in those years, always gives us more reasons and pretexts to write a good pissed-off text in the spirit of rebellion, the unstoppable decline of urban complexes, the critique of the political ruling class.

The debut of Machine Head is a product with a raw attitude and with songs specifically designed for live performance, but at the same time, it boasts a production of absolute clarity (produced by Colin Richardson), highlighting all the components of the band's dirty and violent sound, from the scraping guitars to the drumming of the majestic Chris Kontos (truly a drummer with balls!), passing through Adam Duce's sharp and incisive bass and Rob Flynn's harrowing and furious voice.

All the tracks are classics, fundamental chapters of the '90s; a sound evidently influenced by Pantera but also by Sepultura, Metallica, Slayer, Prong, Biohazard, politicized hardcore, etc., etc... an intense, powerful metal, distinct from the canonical one expressed in the '80s, and skillfully mixing a bit of all the elements characterizing thrashcore, but what comes out is not imitation or simple addition of things already done, what comes out is the Machine fuckin Head sound, personal and solid (in short, those who accuse them of being Pantera clones are very probably big idiots).

The first three songs of the tracklist are three heavy blows, the classic of classics, "Davidian" (which deals with the infamously known Waco Massacre) with its furious pace, "Old" and its engaging chorus (especially in live rendition), "A Thousand Lies" full of great riffs and the structure of a thoroughly enjoyable modernist thrash.

"None But My Own" always hangs in the balance between what seems like a sort of calm composition and the more driven parts dominated by stunning rhythms. "The Rage To Overcome" and "Death Church" are two more punches dominated by compressed and lacerating riffs, followed by the paced "A Nation on Fire" (a classic of the now extensive repertoire of the band), the fast and thrash-oriented "Blood For Blood" pays a significant tribute to the riffing made in Kerry King (Slayer's guitarist for the ignorant).

The beautiful "I'm Your God" features very intense guitar work and Flynn excelling even in clean vocals (where our Rob is particularly adept), the subsequent "Real Eyes. Realize. Real Lies" is a sort of well-crafted interlude dominated by a malevolent and unhealthy atmosphere that paves the way to the wonderful finale of "Block", one of the most beautiful songs ever written by Flynn and co., an energetic surrogate of the entire album's sound, once again an astonishing drum work, the ever more exciting frontman, and Logan Mader (damn, I haven't mentioned him yet!) who does an excellent job as an outstanding axe-man, destructive finale.

The limited edition also includes a cover by the hardcore/punk group Poison Idea, "Alan's On Fire".

Anyone who, for one reason (not valid anyway) or another does not possess this fundamental masterpiece of metal in general (and a bible for any thrashcore band in particular) should remedy it immediately: Rob Flynn, Logan Mader, Adam Duce, and Chris Kontos are there waiting for it, in those 11 fiery songs ready to blow you away with riffs, solos, and killer tempos.

Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast!!!

Rating: 10/10 (perhaps objectively it deserves a bit less, but this is a subjective rating, this album is fundamental and indispensable for me).