Review Summary: Good vibes/riffs.
The Hum of the Machine is a stoner/heavy rock band like Lo-Pan. The band engages in classic rock vibes like Wolfmother, which ever pleases. Songs have a retro feel, focused on melodies, so they are easily accessible despite the crunch of the riffs. The riffs set the band apart from others, sounding like Mastodon and sometimes the newest Chevelle album. Almost every song has a background of heavy riffs playing, and it was so fun I didn’t skip tracks, mostly. Only one song bored me, a weird, trippy little song that was obvious filler.
I’m not a huge fan of this type of music, I only casually enjoy Lo-Pan honestly, but this album kept me invested. The singer has a nice tone that doesn’t grate, and the choruses definitely escalate the excitement. There’s even a song that reminds me of some of Tool’s more experimental tracks; it’s a highlight of the album, a progressive song with pummeling drums in the verse, and a suddenly explosive riff straight before the surprisingly large chorus. In that song, Transmission’s On, the band’s sci-fi obsession is highlighted. But the album is full of great tracks, managing to stay just outside the realm of average thanks to an excellent performance and a great vibe. No way in Hell is this one of the best albums of the year, but if you’re looking for a good old time look no further.
