Machine Head "Of Kingdom And Crown" (2022)

Flying on the spirited shoulders of front man Rob Flynn, Machine Head's one soul surviving member, a renewed lineup embark on a mission of defiant intent, to reaffirm their iconic demeanor boldly again. Pulling no crafty surprises, Of Kingdom And Crown rekindles the throttling metallic edge explored over their now lengthy history. Sadly, it arrives on shores of apathy. as my diminishing interest in the Metal treadmill grows. Its song writing may be cunning, the attitude ripe with passion and riffs as intoxicating as ever but a lack of originality breeds only serves a familiar serving.

Its one defining encroachment seems fitting to fail. The "woah-oa-woah" chorals, intentionally epic in shape and crudely catchy in execution just happens to be a cliche I'm not keen on. More commonly heard among cheery Electronic tinged Indie Rock of the last decade, Rob weaves it well into the aggression. As for everything else? A typical assemble of Groove and Thrash, woven in with iconic obnoxious fret harmonic abuse. It serves to paint its climaxes in a stale familiarity, fun but lacking freshness. Although wonderfully directed songs, catchy with steady progressions, the satisfying structures assemble an arsenal of riffs thoughtfully. Yet they blunder, as rehashing classic riffs from past records sours the potency of these peaks they strive for.

Where the record crumbles is in its mediocrity. Only a handful of tracks partially navigate these momentous intentions. Its darkly interlude muster little excitement and Rob's political resentments seem contrived, emerging as stiff frictions between words and the musical attitude. Of Kingdom And Crown may have octane aesthetics and lively execution but its contents are bamboozling, a case of deja-vu intent on a frothing urgency dulled by a lack of something new to say. Sure, one can have a good head bang and enjoy the energy, but ultimately its the same old Machine Head.

Rating: 5/10