Music discovery is like love, it’s a wonderful thing!
Hold on a second there Mark, are you really quoting Michael Bolton in a Sepultura review?
Well, dear readers, I had to come up with something as the truth of the matter is I know next to nothing about Sepultura. Sure, I’ve heard of the band. Even listened to the odd song on various playlists, but Sepultura never made it into my collection; until now, that is! As Machine Messiah is their fourteenth studio album, I thought I better sit up and take notice. Plus, that artwork is extraordinary. While I’m obviously pro-Apple Music, artwork like this is one of the reasons why I still enjoy collecting vinyl.
So, will this album have what it takes to ensure I become a Sepultura fan?
If the album, and band, can be represented by the title track Machine Messiah, then I can unequivocally say yes. Machine Messiah is a sonic wonderland with a slow burn towards the chorus. I love it! The guitar work is exquisite and the first thing I notice is that the recording and mastering are not overly compressed. There is plenty of depth in the soundstage and everything is in its place, putting many other heavy metal albums to shame.
I Am The Enemy is pure thrash metal. It’s hard-hitting and doesn’t let up. While I miss the more melodic Machine Messiah, I am thoroughly enjoying the energy of this track. It takes a very special vocalist to sing like this and Derrick Green has a massive amount of talent that I would liken to Corey Taylor’s vocal range and shifting capabilities.
Phantom Self is bound to damage my hearing as I can’t help but turn the volume up. Is it worth it? Ask me when I get to 70! I like to feel the music, not just hear it. While I may regret that later on, as I’m sure many people do, songs like Phantom Self reach the soul in a way that is simply not possible without excessive volume levels. The oriental characteristics throughout initially sound a little disjointed but make perfect sense when you hear the epic duel that takes place during the guitar solo.
Alethea thankfully slows the pace, of the album, to allow the soul to recover from the onslaught that was Phantom Self. That said, while I enjoy the tempo of the instrumental backing, I find that the vocals don’t fit the song well. To me, it sounds as though the vocal track has been unnaturally slowed down.
Iceberg Dances is a purely instrumental track and I love it!
Sworn Oath made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when it started. In an interesting dichotomy, it has a demonic, yet not evil, sound. I can’t put my finger on the contrasting factor, but Sworn Oath is thoroughly enjoyable and the vocal delivery is masterful. Actually, one element that I feel is important to note, on the entire album, is how clear Green’s guttural vocals are. With this style of music, vocals can become incomprehensible, but this certainly isn’t the case with Machine Messiah.
Resistant Parasites has some killer bass notes. I love the sound of the bass guitar and while I acknowledge that everyone wants a guitar solo, I also love it when the bass guitar is featured prominently in a recording.
Silent Violence isn’t a bad song, but I’m not connecting with the beat as much as I would like and I find myself listening, instead of being enveloped in the music.
Vandals Nest has a killer guitar intro that immediately reminds me of Metallica’s thrash days. There is so much going on in this song that you simply don’t have an opportunity to rest. Believe it or not, this is a good thing!
Cyber God is an interesting song as it reminds me of Avenged Sevenfold, yet it is completely unique. The guitar work and drum beat are simply exquisite and world-class. Green’s vocal style is also amazing as he shifts tone and pitch seamlessly throughout the song.
Chosen Skin is a skull shattering song that has a rhythm and attitude that invokes movement in the listener. When I listen to a song like this, I am continually amazed at how music is captured. It is pure magic and while I know the fundamentals of how it is done, it never ceases to impress me.
Ultraseven No Uta is a song that should have been excluded from the album. That said, this is a bonus track that, along with Chosen Skin, is not included on all formats. Ultraseven No Uta is awful and sounds like a pop song with rock and roll distortion added. What was Sepultura thinking?
While Ultraseven No Uta doesn’t encourage me to listen to the album again, the sonic perfection and musicality of Machine Messiah mean that I will be adding Machine Messiah to my collection; sans Ultraseven No Uta, of course!
As regular readers would note, I don’t listen to music for its literal interpretation. When seeking out this information, I find comfort in hearing an explanation directly from the artist for my interpretive meaning is likely to be entirely different to the original intent of the song. Therefore, the following videos by Sepultura give us further insight into the writing and recording of the songs that make up the exceptional Machine Messiah.
Without a doubt, Machine Messiah is one of the best metal albums I have heard in recent years. While it has become a welcome addition to my streaming library, I still long for a vinyl copy but I’m not sure which one to choose from as there are a few interesting variations, including an incredible picture disc version.
Yes, I’m still jaded by Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son picture disc, and I acknowledge the limitations of the picture disc format, but I also have several picture discs that play extremely well; Rob Zombie’s being amongst the best. The problem is knowing if Sepultura’s Machine Messiah will be one of them.
Nevertheless, the Apple Music lossless stream (24-bit / 48 kHz ALAC) is nothing short of an unforgettable sonic experience and will, certainly for the foreseeable future, be my go-to edition.