The Machines
It’s not often you come across a punk band that formed in 1977, split up in 1978, then regenerated in 2006 – but that’s exactly what we’ve got with The Machines and their latest album. Describing their sound as punk rock n roll/alternative, the band take influence from the likes of The New York Dolls and The Stooges and as such, craft a sound which combines numerous approaches and is firmly their own. Grabbing hold of their mammoth 16 track album, I was looking forward to seeing what was going on!
Opening with Racing there’s an unmistakeable sound of 70’s punk flowing through things, immediately grabbing your attention and pulling you into hear what’s going on. Raucous guitars, urgent vocals and pounding drums all ooze out of the speakers, forming a sound which gets you moving, nodding your head and joining in with what the band are doing. Cyclone follows much the same convention, once again throwing you into an upbeat melee of hammering drum lines, urgent guitar work and simple yet effective vocals. The key to punk rock has always been simplicity, and that’s where The Machines are getting it spot on, their tracks don’t faff about or mess around, they simply present you with a track and the option as to whether you want to listen to it – my advice – hit play and crank that volume up.
Perfect Black once again demonstrates that when punk’s done well, it’s done really well. Once again following the key conventions of punk whilst adding in an updated and alternative approach, this is what the 70’s would sound like if they were brought back to life, and it’s good to hear. What’s most striking about the band is how their sound is urgent and upbeat, yet not over done on distortion or aggression, meaning you can simply crank this on and enjoy it rather than feeling forced into doing anything about it. Pirate Times, Weekend, Girl In Black and Chain Gang all follow the key conventions of punk rock, presenting you with tracks which get you pogo’ing around the room and reaching for that old leather jacket, but it’s when Parents Zone comes in that the true power of the band is revealed fully. Whilst some may say that it’s just another track on the album, when you pick this track apart you realise it’s the modern equivalent of what punk was in the 1970’s, music which is going to shape a generation if it’s given the chance. Fast, urgent, powerful and in your face, this track is my personal favourite from the album and one which I know I’ll be coming back to.
Sue This Song seems to match the power and authenticity of Parent Zone, once again demonstrating that when you play punk, you play punk for life. Fast and to the point, this is another track which is built for the live scene, and one which you know is going to get people dancing! Not the cleanest track on the album, the raw edge to this track gives it a further edge which is all too often lost, once again marking this track as one which you need to make sure you check out. Closing the album (sort of) with Don’t Be Fooled, the final moments here once again demonstrate that if you’re going to check out a punk band, this could be the one to look for. This final track on the album has all of the hall marks of a live anthem, and is the sort of thing which is going to get more and more people flocking to the bands shows.
Now – I say closing but after track 10 there are 6 further bonus track, 2 of which are from 1977 and 4 of which are from 1978 continue the ideals of the album further on. Featuring a version of Racing from 1977, it’s incredible to hear where the sound of the band started and where it’s ended up, showing how they’ve refined their approach compared to the rough and ready approach they started off with. The original version of the track holds more power sure, but at the same time the new version demonstrates what a band learns over time and how their sound evolves, and it’s not often something you get the chance to hear. The second track from 77, You Better Hear once again shows off the original punk roots of The Machines, showing off their aggressive and hard hitting side from yesteryear and demonstrating that experience can always do more than that distortion pedal. It’s incredible hearing the same band nearly 40 years ago, almost like getting the chance to be transported back to see them in their heyday.
Moving onto True Life, Everything’s Technical, You Better Hear and Evening Radio, all of which were recorded in 1978, it’s clear that it’s the same band, but their sound is almost cleaned up. These tracks show where the band have come from sure, but the cleaner approach doesn’t do the tracks justice, doesn’t fully accentuate all of the power which the band holds or show what they can do. They’re good to hear, but don’t stand up to the more hard hitting demos of 1977. Whilst this sounds negative, it’s a solid ending to the album, and a moment which we rarely get to hear!
It’s rare that we’ll come across a band who got together in 1977 to play music, split up in 1978, then came back to reach out to a new generation – but that’s what we’ve got with The Machines. Personally, I think this album is a fantastic demonstration of exactly where music has come from, how the genre has developed, and why the time is right for a return of the punk movement. Give The Machines half a chance and I imagine they’ll be leading the charge, as what you’ve got here is solid punk rock designed for one hell of a party.
To find out more about The Machines, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Check out their website HERE.
Grab yourself a copy of their album on iTunes HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Opening with Racing there’s an unmistakeable sound of 70’s punk flowing through things, immediately grabbing your attention and pulling you into hear what’s going on. Raucous guitars, urgent vocals and pounding drums all ooze out of the speakers, forming a sound which gets you moving, nodding your head and joining in with what the band are doing. Cyclone follows much the same convention, once again throwing you into an upbeat melee of hammering drum lines, urgent guitar work and simple yet effective vocals. The key to punk rock has always been simplicity, and that’s where The Machines are getting it spot on, their tracks don’t faff about or mess around, they simply present you with a track and the option as to whether you want to listen to it – my advice – hit play and crank that volume up.
Perfect Black once again demonstrates that when punk’s done well, it’s done really well. Once again following the key conventions of punk whilst adding in an updated and alternative approach, this is what the 70’s would sound like if they were brought back to life, and it’s good to hear. What’s most striking about the band is how their sound is urgent and upbeat, yet not over done on distortion or aggression, meaning you can simply crank this on and enjoy it rather than feeling forced into doing anything about it. Pirate Times, Weekend, Girl In Black and Chain Gang all follow the key conventions of punk rock, presenting you with tracks which get you pogo’ing around the room and reaching for that old leather jacket, but it’s when Parents Zone comes in that the true power of the band is revealed fully. Whilst some may say that it’s just another track on the album, when you pick this track apart you realise it’s the modern equivalent of what punk was in the 1970’s, music which is going to shape a generation if it’s given the chance. Fast, urgent, powerful and in your face, this track is my personal favourite from the album and one which I know I’ll be coming back to.
Sue This Song seems to match the power and authenticity of Parent Zone, once again demonstrating that when you play punk, you play punk for life. Fast and to the point, this is another track which is built for the live scene, and one which you know is going to get people dancing! Not the cleanest track on the album, the raw edge to this track gives it a further edge which is all too often lost, once again marking this track as one which you need to make sure you check out. Closing the album (sort of) with Don’t Be Fooled, the final moments here once again demonstrate that if you’re going to check out a punk band, this could be the one to look for. This final track on the album has all of the hall marks of a live anthem, and is the sort of thing which is going to get more and more people flocking to the bands shows.
Now – I say closing but after track 10 there are 6 further bonus track, 2 of which are from 1977 and 4 of which are from 1978 continue the ideals of the album further on. Featuring a version of Racing from 1977, it’s incredible to hear where the sound of the band started and where it’s ended up, showing how they’ve refined their approach compared to the rough and ready approach they started off with. The original version of the track holds more power sure, but at the same time the new version demonstrates what a band learns over time and how their sound evolves, and it’s not often something you get the chance to hear. The second track from 77, You Better Hear once again shows off the original punk roots of The Machines, showing off their aggressive and hard hitting side from yesteryear and demonstrating that experience can always do more than that distortion pedal. It’s incredible hearing the same band nearly 40 years ago, almost like getting the chance to be transported back to see them in their heyday.
Moving onto True Life, Everything’s Technical, You Better Hear and Evening Radio, all of which were recorded in 1978, it’s clear that it’s the same band, but their sound is almost cleaned up. These tracks show where the band have come from sure, but the cleaner approach doesn’t do the tracks justice, doesn’t fully accentuate all of the power which the band holds or show what they can do. They’re good to hear, but don’t stand up to the more hard hitting demos of 1977. Whilst this sounds negative, it’s a solid ending to the album, and a moment which we rarely get to hear!
It’s rare that we’ll come across a band who got together in 1977 to play music, split up in 1978, then came back to reach out to a new generation – but that’s what we’ve got with The Machines. Personally, I think this album is a fantastic demonstration of exactly where music has come from, how the genre has developed, and why the time is right for a return of the punk movement. Give The Machines half a chance and I imagine they’ll be leading the charge, as what you’ve got here is solid punk rock designed for one hell of a party.
To find out more about The Machines, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Check out their website HERE.
Grab yourself a copy of their album on iTunes HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls