NØT LØNG FØR THIS WØRLD is the closest they’ve come to a song featuring only clean vocals, Robb stretching his range over unbowed lyrics that feel definitive: ‘Sing now for lonely bastards / Blue rain upon my plastic soul / Demons that cause disaster / Some sins I never will atone.’ THESE SCARS WØN’T DEFINE US continue the theme of recalcitrance: ‘Remember before you forget / One Life is all that you get!’ Then they put that attitude into practice, as atmospheric interlude DUSTMAKER bleeds into a grandstanding BØNESCRAPER, combining cheesy hooks (‘Love is just a loaded gun!’), unabashed woah-ohs and arena-rattling riffs for a single that would do Parkway Drive or plenty of other current heavyweights proud.
Written on the road – between hotels and practice rooms across continents – the sense of freewheeling momentum is undoubtedly UNATØNED’s greatest strength, capturing the roadworn charisma and runaway force of the Machine Head 2025 live show. But with it comes a jettisoning of the tonal consistency and sprawling songcraft that defines their finest recorded work. Having already given so much, and being so far into the game, only a cynic would begrudge a little self-indulgence at this point. And, closing out with a swell of heartfelt high drama, superb final track SCØRN is a poignant reminder of what exactly Machine Head are capable of when not just crushing brown eyes and banging heads. No apologies required.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: DevilDriver, Parkway Drive, Bleed From Within
UNATØNED is released on April 25 via Nuclear Blast