Machine Head
Supercharger

THE REVIEW

In eleven years (for now) of honorable career, Machine Head have had the merit of being one of the pioneers of that new musical style, born from the ashes left by the old Thrash Metal, which will take the name "Post-Thrash," and will be one of the inspiring sources of the then nascent Nu Metal movement.

This band should be recognized for not sticking to a fixed formula over the years but has constantly changed its skin album after album, receiving both praise and criticism. According to many, the group's most difficult moment was between 1999 and 2001, a period during which "The Burning Red" and precisely "Supercharger" were released. If the first two albums, "Burn My Eyes" and "The More Things Change," had achieved enormous success thanks to the similar-thrash violence they emanated, the subsequent album's crossover/nu-metal turn that the band had taken left many fans puzzled.

Led, as usual, by Mr. Robb Flynn, frontman, singer, and guitarist (as well as the writer of many of the lyrics); the Machine Head of "Supercharger" do not stray much from the sound of "The Burning Red"; in fact, the album in question can be defined as its continuation, albeit (in my opinion) a bit more mature and personal. Many have labeled this album as a semi-flop just because the band hadn't returned to the old days (a return that will happen in the following album), but I define it as a great album in the genre it was inserted into. All the songs are pleasant and "tasty," and if you like this genre, I assure you that you'll like them immediately upon first listen.

Slower and melodic pieces like "Crashing Around You," "Only The Names," and the beautiful "Deafening Silence" alternate with true adrenaline rushes like the opener "Bulldozer" (which starts with a nice riff and shifts from slow parts to really powerful moments), "Trephination," and the closing title track "Supercharger." And naturally, there are some excellent rap-metal tracks like "All In Your Head," "American High," and "Kick You When You're Down" (awesome!); note that these three songs, besides having the same type of sound, deal with the same subject in the lyrics, namely the sad outcast experiences Flynn had during adolescence. True anthems to never give up on difficulties. But the rap parts don't end there, they are present here and there, like in "White Knuckle Blackout!" during the "mosh pit" part ("You wanna fire my fuel? I'll fire back a fuck you!!"), and in the end of "Blank Generation," managing to "save" the song from its excessive staticity.

While not being a nu-metal group, Machine Head has created a fine album; sure, nothing original, but very personal and extremely enjoyable. Those who love these sounds should not miss this album, nor "The Burning Red." If you prefer more "thrashy" sounds, then immediately seek out the band's other albums.
In conclusion, I give it 4 stars only because I consider it inferior to "Burn My Eyes" and "Through The Ashes Of Empires" (in my opinion, the group's best albums).

PS: In the digipack version of the album (the one I have), there are 4 bonus tracks: "Holy In The Sky" (cover of the Black Sabbath song), "Ten Fold," and the live versions of "The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears" and "Desire To Fire" (songs from the previous album). Long live Machine Head and Robb Flynn!!!!