“The remnants of an empty soul.”
Let’s get something out of the way off the bat – while I’m certainly a fan of their big hits, Machine Head are not a band I’m all too familiar with. While I admittedly did grow up with their brand of thrashy 2000s goodness, they were a band that, for one reason or another, passed me by in my formative years. It’s inexplicable really, given that in my early days I fawned over bands like Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying and Chimaira, but I digress. I feel this is important to establish from the jump, as I understand that Machine Head have a very dedicated fanbase that almost certainly understand the ins and outs of their very, very complicated career better than I. A fanbase that, as I understand it, will be much more pleased with the sound of ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN than they were of 2018’s controversial Catharsis.
ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN is good, ole fashioned thrashy groove metal. No weird, experimental, or “Bastards”-adjacent sonic atrocities. Just plain, heavy goodness, firmly rooted in the prevalent metal sounds of the ‘90s and ‘00s. This is a bit of a double-edged sword, as those searching for something truly new here certainly won’t find it, but equally, it doesn’t particularly need to be new. There is a clear mission statement with ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN to tap into a specific sound, and while it doesn’t always work for me in particular, they achieve their goals valiantly and with confidence.
The record opens up fairly unconventionally, with its longest track in “SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR”. Standing tall at a whopping ten minutes in length, ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN’s opener works well in setting up the record’s sonic palette. While not technically the most adventurous cut on the record, its ability to maintain my attention through its gargantuan runtime is an achievement enough in itself. Still, though, while “SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR” does impress with its grand scale and overture-esque nature, I do feel there are a few moments where they could have trimmed the fat, so to speak.
Following track “CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE” wastes no time, immediately blasting the listener with fierce groove metal riffing and world-class drumming. In general, the drumwork of Navene Koperweis seen across ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN stands as the record’s primary strength. Even in the cuts I found relatively bland, his precision, fill work and raw speed is no small feat.
There are a number of great cuts strewn across ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN’s hefty 13-track run. Tracks “MY HANDS ARE EMPTY” and “UNHALLØWED” impress greatly in their melodic qualities, with the former containing this almost tribal chant and percussive build during its intro, which is then slowly stripped back at the tail end of the track, masterfully crafting a cyclical sonic narrative of sorts within the track.
While there’s much to love about ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN, however, there’s one thing that began to grate on me by the album’s closure: the solos. I know, I know. It would almost be sacrilege not to have an abundance of solos in an album like this, but there are so many here it’s almost laughable. Outside of the interludes, I think each and every song outside of “NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS” contains a solo of some variety, usually accompanied by a certain level of wankery. Again, I know it’s a staple of the genre, but holy hell, these songs’ bridges blend into one after a while because of how little variety there is in the numerous appearances they make.
Sometimes, though, a song is so good that it supersedes the net issues of the record. Take closing number “ARRØWS IN WØRDS FRØM THE SKY”, for example: a track that wholly exemplifies the utmost strengths of ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN from start to finish. From the keen melodic edge of its verses and planet-sized chorus, to the blindsiding dissonance of its breakdowns, “ARRØWS IN WØRDS FRØM THE SKY” is a masterclass in modern metal. In spite of my previous statements, even the track’s solo is a blast, feeling relatively more reserved and subdued than the shreddy Slayer-esque soloing featured on many cuts across the record.
While it’s certainly not set to break any records, ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN is undeniably a good time. Chock full of all the thrashy trappings expected of a band like Machine Head, the seasoned heavy metal outfit’s tenth studio album is a nostalgic romp of heavy goodness. Where the album unexpectedly shines, however, is not in its heavier moments, but instead its subdued melodicism. This more reserved sound only rears its head a handful of times on ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN, but each and every time it did – especially in truly stellar closer “ARRØWS IN WØRDS FRØM THE SKY” – it never failed to captivate me. Let’s ease up on the solos next time though, yeah?
7.5/10
ØF KINGDØM AND CRØWN will be available this Friday, August 26th via Nuclear Blast, and you can pre-order the record here.