song's ok but awkward as fuck in places

Song kinda says it all. Now they're dead.

Boring song

I really like the clean section but this seriously sounds like Machine Head going through the motions of their past three records. This might as well be Days Turn Blue to Gray II

I was gonna say in before all the Sputnik users that smell their own farts, drive a Prius and live in San Francisco shit all over the album but it looks like a few already got in before me.

Song rules.

Song sounds pretty awesome to me. You guys must be fucking deaf.

I really like the clean section but this seriously sounds like Machine Head going through the motions of their past three records. This might as well be Days Turn Blue to Gray II [2]

I think they need a stylistic change, they're not really evolving in any way and they still have the same songwriting problems they always had, it's already been said in terms of the awkwardness.

Still sucks I see.

It would be better if it was 4-5 minutes imo

Kind of boring and uninspired. It could parallel a ton of other newer stuff from their past few albums.

Track just seems plain messy

I like it better than the last album. They appear to have peaked with The Blackening, but this is solid and I hope the album crushes. It's difficult for a band to hold anyone's attention for longer than a single much less an entire album. I praise Machine Head for at least trying new ways of making metal. Yes they experimented with Nu-Metal and brought it back around to produce The Blackening. Give'em a chance folks...

I like the strings which are more prominent than what they've used in the past, and this seems heavier for one of their more 'emotional' songs - don't think they've combined those 2 sides in one song like this very often. Agree somewhat with the sort of awkward choppy criticism but I still dig it overall.

I used to love them, I've grown horribly tired of the singers vocals. Also, although I think they're trying hard to remain relevent, all of this seems forced and uninspired. It's not that I find it bad, it's just that as soon as I've heard anything from this song, it's forgotten. It doesn't inspire me any emotion whatsoever. I feel bad now.

It's a good song, a bit too long tho.

I'm not into this kind of stuff much, but I completely adored their previous one and Halo. But this? Average.

They used to be nu metal, then jumped on the the sound that everyone was doing in the mid 2000's and made 2 good albums but where to now for Rob Flynn the trend jumper

They should go djent lol

I actually was expecting them to go full djent (srs). That's what kids these days are doing.

"They used to be nu metal, then jumped on the the sound that everyone was doing in the mid 2000's and made 2 good albums but where to now for Rob Flynn the trend jumper "

You mean the sound they helped develop in the early 90s? Didn't know trendhopping included "going back to your old sound".

This new song is same old MH. I think they're too afraid of changing considering how the nu metal thing went.

How is their last two trendy? They're progressive groove/thrash metal lol

Chug73 must be 15 or just ignorant. No fucking clue what he's talking about.

Oh I'm sorry, here I was thinking they were metal when it was progressive groove thrash all along lol. How ignorant of me.
Their Nu metal sound was becoming dated fast. They jumped on the style that was gaining favour fast. Like I said, it
produced 2 excellent albums (their early stuff was rly bad lol idk why metal nerds defend it so much).

What other major bands were doing the groove/ thrash thing in 2002/3 when TTAoE was made?

Pantera were done, Megadeth were supposedly done, Metallica were doing St. Anger, Lamb of God hadn't broken through yet. The only one I can think of any note is Slayer who released God Hates Us All in 2001 which is hardly a trend.

There was also Soulfly who were ditching the nu metal of 3 in 2002 when Max replaced the entire linup and started writing Prophecy.

I guess, though even when Prophecy did come out after Ashes it was at #84 in the US.

Linkin Park's Meteora on the other hand got to #1 in the US a few months before Ashes was released which doesn't really indicate "it was becoming dated fast". Even Limp Bizkit got to #3 in 2003 with Results May Vary.

They obviously jumped on the nu metal trend with The Burning Red but this supposed other trend jump after has never made any sense.

This feeling that they followed a trend is due to the fact that they did a 180° turn after trying nu metal and released an album (through the ashes of empire) which was acclaimed although it was pretty bad except for an amazing opener and an amazing closer. The Blackening therefore feels a bit like they've found a gold vein and decided to exploit it as far as they could. It wasn't trendy but at the same time, it was obvious that it's the smartest move the band could have done to regain popularity and it feels exactly as if they had followed a trend blindly.

The whole new wave of American metal thing. It became cool to play fast, have solos and harmonies. I have never dissed these guys as musicians, they can obviously play. But it reminds me of Devildriver (pls don't compare the quality of the bands, obv Devildriver are terrible) who made a cheesy early 2000's album then stared playing the style I mentioned.
People seem to think it's bad I called them out. Sputnik fav pantera jumped once glam was dying and became heavy as balls.
Machine Head did it for the better too.

I'm more interested in the new Fear Factory than this.

@chug

MH released 1 Nu-Metal album in 'Supercharger'. That's it. 'The Burning Red had maybe a couple of those types of tracks but was a decent effort. Then they went back to the sound they helped create in the 90s. I don't know what you're trying to say.

Pantera were done, Megadeth were supposedly done, Metallica were doing St. Anger, Lamb of God hadn't broken through yet. The only one I can think of any note is Slayer who released God Hates Us All in 2001 which is hardly a trend.

^Agreeing with the above.

I'm a long time MH fan, bought Burn My Eyes the very day it was released in 94' and to me from the very beginning, MH were not just a straight up thrash/metal band as they had had elements of hardcore, punk, and even hip-hop/rap to some extent. The whole cross-over thing of the early to mid 90's eventually evolved into what we know as nu-metal, so really they weren't quite jumping on any bandwagon IMO. Listen to The Burning Red album and there are no more than 2 minutes of rapped vocals (in an hour of music),but rapped vocals more akin to Biohazard than Linkin Park or anything like that.

The fact that the band did evolve and try new things is why they are still around. The last album was the first which didn't hook me in instantly and I kind of expect them not to change much anymore with this line up. Seems like whenever MH have changed guitar players it has heralded a new style for the band and this will be the third release which Phil Demmel has been a part of during the creative process, (fourth he's recorded with the band) so no massive departure in store I reckon, as such this new track is solid but not very surprising or experimental. The strings don't fit too well, however the clean vocals part is excellent and the second half of the track is much more appealing that the first.

Song rules. Some Sputnik users are hipsters as fuck and will diss every thing that gains even the slightest mainstream attention, regardless of whether it's good or bad.

I actually like the song a lot. Unto the Locust was excellent as well imo.
The band still tries a bit hard to be "metal" instead of being naturally heavy which is weird considering how good they can be
without trying.
All I was doing was pointing out what I think but of course metal fans are going to loose their respective shit as soon as you
say something they don't collectively agree with (like actually showering lol).

I agree with a lot of what chug73 has said. I think you nailed it when you said 'the band (MH) tries a bit too hard to be "metal" instead of being naturally heavy'

I'm a big fan of theirs but the last few records (since Phil joined) are IMO trying a bit too hard to appeal to the 'old school' metal crowd. Maybe they don't want to risk the backlash like on TBR & SC albums (which are both great and underrated I reckon), or maybe they are honestly and finally making the music they want to make. Whatever the case I'm looking forward to the album even if I prefer pre- The Blackening Machine Head.