Initial pressings of THROUGH THE ASHES OF EMPIRES include a bonus disc.

Machine Head: Robert Flynn (vocals, guitar); Phil Demmel (guitar); Adam Duce (bass, background vocals); Dave McClain (drums).

Recorded at Sharkbite Studios, Oakland, California in 2003.

Asian version.

On THROUGH THE ASHES OF EMPIRES, Machine Head delivers another potent dose of the group's signature blend of late-1980s thrash and Pantera-inspired alt-metal. This time around, though, the band takes frequent musical interludes from the sonic onslaught--a tinkling toy piano provides "Left Unfinished" with a nicely eerie, horror-film intro, while "Wipe Away the Tears" features a Black Flag-style spoken rant. In a few places, the ordinarily pummeling juggernaut that is Machine Head even gets downright melodic--"Shades of Night," for example, features vocal harmonies would fit right in on an Incubus disc. Longtime fans need not worry, though--THROUGH THE ASHES OF EMPIRES provides enough angst-laden growls and six-string shredding to keep heads banging, machine or otherwise.

What the critics say...

CMJ (3/29/04, p.16) - "[T]he once mighty neo-thrash Machine Head have returned to the no-holds-barred form that made them famous....[A] true return to form."
Kerrang (Magazine) (p.53) - "[T]he quartet returned to what they do best: writing mammoth, crunching riffs of undeniable power."