Machinae Supremacy hail from Sweden. Had I written that sentence about 10 years ago you would have no doubt been jumping with joy, for that very country was synonymous with quality metal. In recent years however it’s become synonymous with derivative At The Gates wannabes who have nothing remotely new to offer the metal spectrum. Put away your anti-depressants boys and girls, for I am delighted to say, we have here a band who don’t sound exactly like every other Euro-metal band on the face of the plant (SHOCK!!!! HORROR!!!!). Truth be told, Machinae Supremacy don’t sound like anyone, proving once again that those folk who say metal has descended into an uncreative and unoriginal clone-war simply aren’t looking hard enough.

Machinae Supremacy have had a wealth of mp3s up for download on their website www.machinaesupremacy.com for a few years now. There’s a good two albums worth of material up there, so in effect this is like their third album, even though it’s only the first to have been made available commercially. Add the fact that this is a reissue, featuring the bonus track ‘Soundtrack To The Rebellion’ which was posted on their website last year, foreshadowing their second album ‘Redeemer’ due later this year.

‘Deux Ex Machinae’ features all new material, with the exception of one re-recorded track entitled ‘Attack Music’. Don’t let the front cover of the CD fool you, this is no dance album, although it is HEAVILY influenced by electronics. No don’t run away, come back!! Though there is a lot of keyboard on here, the electronic elements are used to add layers to the music in an almost symphonic style. They never detract from the guitar work, for there are more guitar solo’s on here than there are on your average Judas Priest album. Comparison’s to Priest aren’t entirely well founded though. Machinae Supremacy sound like no other metal band out there really. Their record label categorises them as alternative rock, but this does them a grave injustice. More commonly, among their fans they’ve been labelled ‘SiD-metal’ or ‘Arcade Metal’. The later is perhaps the most informative, as Machinae Supremacy are very influenced by computer games. The fact that there’s a track on here called ‘Killer Instinct’ gives you an idea where they’re coming from. Keyboards are used to evoke soundscapes from late 80’s and early 90’s computer games, so if you’re of the school that says computer games are immature and for kids then stay well away. Commodore 64 fans on the other hand, have found the heavy metal equivalent of heaven.

‘Deux Ex Machinae’ is a surprisingly light album though and isn’t nearly as heavy as some of the material they have on their website. This doesn’t bother me, but I know some metalheads may object to it. Machinae Supremacy’s influences come from well outside the metal spectrum though so mellow tracks are to be expected on occasion. The vocals in particular are more like classic rock than metal. As such, you can expect big catchy choruses and the like as opposed to the more traditional constipated hippo vocals we’ve become accustomed to from underground bands. As far as underground aesthetics go, Machinae Supremacy also break the golden rule by not having an album that sounds like it was recorded in an Eskimo’s toilet. The production is faultless and it needs to be to get the complex layers of sounds out successfully. Considering the album is entirely self produced, there is undeniable talent here.

Alas, Deux Ex Machinae is not the masterpiece I expected from a band who has so far produced seldom few boring songs. The album has some stand out tracks like ‘Player One’, ‘Super Steve’, ‘Return To Snake Mountain’, ‘Attack Music’, ‘Soundtrack To The Rebellion’, but there is quite a bit of filler here too. Had this been ten track album it would have been excellent, but alas Machinae Supremacy seem convinced over-saturation is the key prerogative. A concept that sits fine with me if all the material was as good as their online material, but ‘Deux Ex Machinae’ falls just short.

In terms of originality though, this is probably the best album I’ve heard since Devin Townsend first emerged onto the metal scene way back when. I’d recommend getting all their online material first. Nonetheless, Machinae Supremacy are probably the most promising metal band I’ve heard for years. Their next album is allegedly a much heavier affair and I await it with baited breath.

‘Deux Ex Machinae’ is not the monster debut it should have been, but it heralds in a brand new metal sound which I want to hear more of. If enough people catch onto Machinae Supremacy, we may have the beginnings of a new metal movement and even see the creation of a new sub-genre. Machinae Supremacy more than have the talent and originality to warrant it.

Check 27 high quality mp3s which are downloadable officially from this page at their website, or click here to order this album.

This entry was posted by the_holy_ferret on Monday, 23rd May, 2005 at 21:33 and is filed under Reviews, Machinae Supremacy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response below. You may view a   printable version of this page. You may download this page in   PDF format.