Live Review : Machine Head @ The O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on November 4th 2019

Machine Head are the ultimate metal survivors. Each time we think they are down and out, they get back up again, dust themselves off and re-enter the fray. In the mid-noughties it looked like they were outdated and out of ideas but then they returned with “The Blackening”, still one of the best metal albums of this century. This time last year it looked like once again Machine Head were over. Robb Flynn on Facebook dramatically announced that Phil Demmel and Dave McClain had left the band and for a while it seemed that was that. However twelve months later here they are again selling out the 5,000 capacity Victoria Warehouse. Robb has pulled off the masterstroke of looking both forward and backwards. He has recruited the ridiculously talented Waclaw Kieltyka from Decapitated and Matt Alston from Devilment for the 2019 incarnation of the band, but (and here is the genius stroke) he has also brought alumni Logan Mader and Chris Kontos back into the fold to perform debut album “Burn my Eyes” in its entirety.

As ever the evening with Machine Head concept is in place. No support act and a 7.45 start. Actually make that eight as the start time seems to be pushed back quarter of hour as there is still around a thousand people trying to enter the building when I arrive bang on time. So what we get is a pretty bog standard two hour Machine Head set with the 2019 line up and then a ten minute intermission followed by an hour plus “Burn My Eyes” set with Logan and Chris instituia. They were still only on ‘I’m Your God Now' (track nine of eleven) when I had to go at five past eleven and get my last train. But I am getting ahead of myself.

As said, the first couple of hours is pretty much a re-tread of usual Machine Head sets, they start with 'Imperium' and end with ‘Halo’. In between we get pretty much what you would expect (‘Ten Ton Hammer’, ‘Aesthetics of Hate’, ‘Locust’). In fact, the only two real surprises in the first section are 'From This Day' from “The Burning Red” (getting a bit of latter day rehabilitation) and the seldom heard 'Struck a Nerve' from “The More Things Change…”. Aside from those two nuggets, its business as usual; lots of audience participation, lots of passion, lots of heaviness and (sadly) lots of faffing. Don’t get me wrong, I love Machine Head and you won’t find another band with as much energy and conviction. They are the people’s champion and they don’t forget that, ever. But (and you are right, there is a but), these lengthy three hour plus shows seem to involve lots of dead air where all the band leave the stage, solos and lengthy monologues from Robb, essentially padding. Call me old fashioned but I would rather loose Robb’s constant wittering on about the pit, the guy dressed as a banana and the over-sized beer cups and instead be able to see the whole set without being in danger of missing my last train. However I am a contrary bugger, as soon as ‘Halo’ kicks in, all gaps and stream of consciousness musing from Robb are forgiven. It truly is a masterpiece of modern metal, it might be nine plus minutes long but it doesn’t have an ounce of fat on it. Its riffs are precise and its chorus is huge and it just builds and builds and builds. Tonight, as ever, it is an utter banger and the pit (banana man and all) becomes a manic cauldron of flaying limps. And then it is the intermission….

I have to confess at this point that I probably don’t hold “Burn My Eyes” in as much reverence as others here tonight. When it first emerged in 1994, Metal and I were on a hiatus and I was busy raving my tits off in fields around Blackburn. It was not until “Through The Ashes of Empires” that I started paying attention and it was “The Blackening” that sealed my personnel love affair with this band. I tell you as justification for why around 'None But My Own' lethargy starts to set in. The unessacary drum solo seals my fate and from that point up I’m knackered and beginning to loose interest. Around me people who this album was a revolutionary bolt from the blue for, are losing their collective shit. Other, lets say younger members of the fraternity, are treating this is like the second coming. However, I’m hypocritically counting down the tracks until I go on.

Before the inevitable backlash start,s I do need to say I love Machine Head and there were points tonight were they were beyond awesome. However, and rather controversially, I suspect these ‘Evening with’ shows may be too much of good thing and part of me would have much preferred a tight, taut monumental two hour all killers no filler set as opposed to a slightly bloated feet aching three hour marathon. Told you it was controversial. 'Halo' was still magnificent though.