Perhaps more than any other metal related thing in 2012 except for the now complicated BLACK SABBATH reunion, I have been looking forward to a full-deal MACHINE HEAD tour. I have been one of the lucky few to have seen the band do a rare headline show in the last five years, but it hasn’t been nearly enough. I even needled Dave McClain about it in an interview with him last summer and he was a good sport about it. The success of The Blackening (Roadrunner) brought a lot of good opportunities to the band and they never got to strike out on their own. Well they have more than made up for that with a solid lineup and the 8^th Plague Tour. Tonight’s show at the Worcester Palladium was part of an extensive run of what promises to be the start of many more shows for US fans this and future years.

Since the original openers RISE TO REMAIN dropped out due to lineup changes, fans were treated to longer sets by the openers instead of a replacement fourth band. This was especially appreciated by me in the form of a longer set by DARKEST HOUR, one of the best live bands around. Following up last year’s solid album The Human Romance (eOne) with the relentless roadwork they are known for, they always put out a total band effort as a live prospect. Tearing the lid off the night with the opener “The World Engulfed In Flames” the band presented themselves as more than worthy. Front man John Henry is one of the best there is at ruling the stage and connecting with the crowd. Coming back with “No God” from the excellent Eternal Return album was a good choice and the crowd was digging it. I consider DH to be the fathers of modern metalcore, something they have never shied away from, but evolved towards a more mature unit over time. Special props go out to fill-in drummer Timothy Java (DEAD TO FALL) covering for the recently departed from the band Ryan Parrish. Replacing a mainstay and a beloved by the fans personality is a tough job, but Tim did well. I also have to single out Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan who can handle a six-string on the level of the headliners. They burned through their set quickly and although I was bummed they missed a few standards I love to hear they closed up strong with “Doomsayer”. Realistically this band shouldn’t be the opener on this or very many tours anymore, unless they want to. They are that good.

Set List:
The World Engulfed in Flames
No God
Savor the Kill
With a Thousand Words to Say but One
Violent by Nature
Love as a Weapon
Your Everyday Disaster
Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)

SUICIDE SILENCE was up next and they had a ton of heads in the house. Although I find them to bit a bit formulaic in their style, they always put on a terrific live show and tonight would be no different. The build up to their entrance on the stage was intense and they arrived as you would imagine to a roaring crowd. Opening with their hit “You Only Live Once” the pit opened up and people were off and running. Front man Mitch Lucker has a commanding presence and kind of looks like he is conducting a symphony of chaos by really emoting how the music and lyrics make him feel. You can see why so many people are down for this band of deathcore acolytes when you watch Mitch and then see the crowd react back to him. The band tore through some of their best known songs like “Wake Up”, “OCD”, “Lifted” and “Smoke” which Mitch dedicated to the weed lovers in the house. Perhaps taking out a page from the HAEBREED playbook, the band has figured out how to make their songs more memorable with sing-a-long lyrics, although a touch more angry and less positive. Still, you have to give it to them when it comes to fan engagement and I nearly thought they would tire out the fans before the main event. Perhaps even including Lucker the top talent in the band if drummer Alex Lopez whose razor sharp robotic playing calls to mind the speed and tightness of original FEAR FACTORY skinsman Raymond Herrera. In the end their songs tend to blend all together to me between the slow groovy breakdowns, too many bass drops and the never varying screams of the singer. Yeah, I’m all set for seeing these guys for a while now. Entertaining to the last, despite the over-long set.

SUICIDE SILENCE is all about the high energy live show.

Set List:
Intro (March to the Black Crown)
You Only Live Once
Wake up
Unanswered
OCD
Bludgeoned to Death
Slaves To Substance
Lifted
Smoke
Disengage
Fuck everything
No Pity For A coward

At last it was time for the big dogs to come out. The stage looked cool with a blend of the Unto The Locust (Roadrunner) artwork, plus a massive video screen that stood about twenty-five feet tall by my estimate. Fog filled up the venue and as the lights went down “I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)” began to play over the PA. The first hint of the awesomeness of the night happened as the screen looked like it was bleeding! What it was bleeding out was the MACHINE HEAD logo crest. This was great and built up the drama even more as the band took the stage the band took their spots to the still full building (I was worried the SUICIDE SILENCE kids would bolt). The four man crew took their places and readied for war. As the intro of the song died down and the massive chords kicked in it felt like a total rush as the stage was awash in red lights. When Robb Flynn sang the open verse of “I……Am….Hell” there was a a gnarly vocal effect and a ton of reverb that made his voice sound monstrous. It was a little over the top, but it did set the tone for what was to follow. After the opening grooves the band did what they do best: open up a can of whoop ass with their take on modern neo-thrash inspired jams. The interplay between the guitar tone of Flynn and Phil Demmel and the crushing beats from McClain was in essence the pure sound of the band. “I Am Hell” is kind of a mini-greatest hits all in one song, at least as thread you can pull from their early career to more recent times. What a killer way to start off a long, loud night!

Robb Flynn readies for musical war.

Coming back with another new song “Be Still And Know” was cool. The Demmel penned song is equal parts progressive and thrashy, but best of all it has amazing melodies. To hear the entire crowd sing it loudly was chilling. Demmel and bassist Adam Duce really mesh well with Flynn on the vocal harmonies. Flynn is of course at the height of his powers as he leads the charge. It’s not really a comeback story for the band anymore as much as it is whether they are the best American metal band these days or not. They certainly must be counted in the conversation. Coming right back with the track that started this entire era for them, “Imperium” was another good call. The video screen played accompanying visuals to each song and the ones for this song were perfect.

Adam Duce is the glue that holds the band together.

“Beautiful Morning” was up next and was also sick. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked that every voice in the crowd was singing these songs from 2004 and beyond with a passion and a lust like they were tracks of the first album. Next up was MH concert favorite “The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears” or beers as Flynn likes to say these days. I was hanging with some of my fellow metal scribes and mused aloud that I still love The Burning Red and Supercharger and would still love to hear those live. I may be in the minority with that one, but as a fan I never cut and run on this act. The single “Locust” was played next with the excellent video playing behind them. Despite the catchyness of the chorus, the song’s breakdown/ending riffs are heavy as hell. “This Is The End” may be the most purely thrash song the band has written, especially the breakdown and solo riffs. The song over is just crazy with thrash, shred, prog and even some black metal influence heard. McClain needs to get mentioned more regularly when discussing the finest drummers in metal. He not only plays tight and is a great song writer, but he still beats heavy as hell in this age of light hitters and guys dependent on triggers. “Aesthetics of Hate” was started off by a chant of “DIMEBAG….DIMEBAG” and was also strong. Oddly enough you could tell who the real old-school fans were during “Old” as few heads really new the words of this essential song in the bands catalog. As great as these recent albums have been and as proud of their resurgence as I am, Burn My Eyes still stands unmatched to my ears. This new ear of fans of the band need to learn their history better. Finishing this segment of the show there were powerful takes on “Darkness Within”, “Bulldozer”, the classic “Ten Ton Hammer”, and “Who We Are” with all of the faces from the crowd in the opening video segment. The band played almost all of the new album and despite the novelty of it, I think it would be neat to hear the entire thing live someday.

Epic!

After leaving the stage briefly and returning to a chant of “machinefuckinghead!” by the crowd, the band played a horns worthy encore. After a gut wrenching take on “Halo” it was time for “Davidian”. One last good circle pit, the classic pinch harmonics, a lot of headbanging grooves and the crazy crowd was spent after almost two straight hours of the final performance.

Set List:
I Am Hell (Sonata in C#)
Be Still and Know
Imperium
Beautiful Mourning
The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears
Locust
This Is The End
Aesthetics of Hate
Old
Darkness Within
Declaration
Bulldozer
Ten Ton Hammer
Who We Are

Encore:

Halo
Davidian

Review and photos by Keith (Keefy) Chachkes