The Burning Red

Even after all of the years that have passed, I still cannot believe just how woefully underrated this album is. I still rate this as one of their best, and it is certainly one of their most interesting albums to date. The production by Ross Robinson is astonishing, deep, layered, and organic, and is one of those recordings that rewards with repeated listens. There is so much detail and nuance, you can pick out new details with every listen. It is definitely metal, but it is more experimental, textured, and colourful than their other albums. There is a refreshing lack of guitar soloing with more emphasis on guitar sounds, effects, and interplay between the two excellent guitarists. The drumming is classy, polished, and understated and the bass snakes and writhes, dark and economic. There is some great use of melody and beautifully-placed guitar effects. There is a great piece within the stunning "Five" that just comes out of nowhere, soft and mournful, that adds great texture and mood to the track (at 3.06). Other highlights, of which there are many, include "Exhale The Vile", "Silver", "The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears", and "I Defy", although every track is essential and holds its own place within the whole context of the recording. The running order of the tracks is perfection and there is a superb version of "Message In A Bottle" by The Police in the mid-section that gives the album a better feel and breaks it nicely into two sections.

I really wish they had pursued this sound more, but then I suppose that's what makes this album so special. It stands alone (burning red) as such a unique and unusual album. This is an album that has been perfectly named.

It ends with the haunting, ethereal, broken distortion of "The Burning Red" that slowly morphs into something vast and floating. like watching the sun swirling into a great red cloud. Robb Flynn has a great gift for melody and there is some very cool harmony that he sings towards the end of this track. I would be very interested to hear Machine Head with more emphasis on melody as the quieter sections of their songs are very interesting. Machine Head really pushed themselves on this album, proving to be very versatile musicians.

Recorded at Indigo Ranch, The Burning Red defines Machine Head as a unique band who were well ahead of their time with a brave, bold album that really deserves closer inspection and appreciation.