Bloodstone & Diamonds Machine Head

• 1Now We Die07:11
• 2Killers & Kings04:33
• 3Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones06:07
• 4Night Of Long Knives06:48
• 5Sail Into The Black08:29
• 6Eyes Of The Dead06:25
• 7Beneath The Silt04:43
• 8In Comes The Flood07:22
• 9Damage Inside03:24
• 10Game Over06:36
• 11Imaginal Cells03:36
• 12Take Me Through The Fire05:48
• Total Runtime01:11:02

Info for Bloodstone & Diamonds

Bloodstone & Diamonds is the eighth studio album for the Bay Area-metal outfit. MacEachern replaced previous bassist Andy Duce in 2013.

"It's been three years since Machine Head released Unto the Locust, widely considered the mainstream metal album of 2011. That was no small feat: four years later it was followed by The Blackening, which is arguably regarded as their magnum opus. Bloodstone & Diamonds is the first MH offering without founding bassist Adam Duce; he has been replaced by former Sanctity guitarist Jared MacEachern. In keeping with the restless musical vision of MH, this set is wildly ambitious. Produced by frontman and guitarist Robb Flynn with Juan Urteaga, and mixed by Colin Richardson, it clocks in at over 70 minutes through 12 tracks. Bloodstone & Diamonds is, thankfully, bone-crunching in numerous places, but its depth and breadth are considerable, its dark, sometimes menacing vibe crosses the divergent paths of its predecessors, yet is in keeping with their signature sound. There are loads of thrash and killer hard rock, though not as much groove metal as some longtime fans might like. Opener "And Now We Die," with its layered soundscape intro and woven strings, clocks moves through phases that combine all three of these dynamics. First single "Killers and Kings," with its unrelenting crack and roar, has a hooky, chanted chorus and a walloping thrash riff that drive it. "Night of the Long Knives," a narrative about the Manson murders, is one of the ugliest tracks MH has ever cut. The twin leads, reverbed drums, and slamming bassline/guitar vamp are careening death metal. The gorgeous Tibetan-style monastic chant that introduces "Sail Into the Black" belies a simple modal melody with droning, fingerpicked, acoustic guitars, sparse pianos, and strings, for four minutes before the punishing big noise takes over for its final half. "Beneath the Silt," with its growled and clean lead vocals, is heavy on the groove, while "Gamer Over" is overdriven hard rock with an excellent vocal. Between them is the startling "In Comes the Flood," with a chamber string intro and a female backing chorale singing "America the Beautiful," with symphonic metal interludes and blasting drums. It eventually becomes a huge cinematic elegy. The set closes with the martial death metal anthem that is the raging "Take Me Through the Fire." Given its range, variety, and length, Bloodstone & Diamonds is a labyrinthine musical and atmospheric journey full of textural and dynamic twists and turns. At times it's even exhausting. That's hardly a bad thing. Given how closely woven these tracks are, the album requires attention -- and numerous listenings -- to fully appreciate what is on offer. Here Machine Head take one sonic attack and push toward and through the boundaries of another. This set is a major go; it extends the qualitative trajectory of The Blackening and Unto the Locust." (Thom Jurek, AMG)

Robb Flynn, vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, percussion
Phil Demmel, guitar
Jared MacEachern, bass, backing vocals
Dave McClain, drums
Additional musicians:
Rhys Fulber, keyboards & string arrangement, percussion
Jordan Fish, keyboards, string arrangement
Kathryn Marshall, strings (track 1)
Eugenia Wie, strings (track 1)
Chad Kaltinger, strings (track 1)
Vanessa Ruotolo, strings (track 1)
Phillip Brezina, strings (track 8)
Charles Akert, strings (track 8)
Ivo Bukolic, strings (track 8)

Recorded 2014 at Jingletown Studios, CA, 2014 (Additional recording at Top Floor Studios, Gothenburg, Sweden, August 2014)
Produced by Robb Flynn, Juan Urteaga

Machine Head
is an American thrash/groove metal band that formed in 1992 in Oakland, California. Machine Head was formed by two ex-"Vio-Lence" members Robert Flynn and Adam Duce. The band has been plagued by lineup changes and drug abuse since its inception. Though the band's first album was a success, Machine Head had a series of albums that earned the band criticism for "selling out". With 5 former members, the band nearly disbanded in 2002 after Roadrunner Records dropped them. The band resigned soon after and had a stable line-up from 2003-2013. In february of 2013 it was announced that after 21 years Duce left the band leaving Flynn the only remaining original member. In 2007 Machine Head had a Grammy Award nomination for their album "The Blackening".

Booklet for Bloodstone & Diamonds