It is amusing to recall how many people were willing to write Machine Head off only a few years ago. After the release of the supposedly polarising (but, in reality, perfectly successful) Catharsis in 2018, and the unexpected departure of half the band later that year, Robb Flynn’s relentless forward march at least seemed to be experiencing a hiccup or two, and critical vultures were circling.
Satisfyingly, the near-immediate turnaround was enough to give us all whiplash. Since returning with a revitalised line-up in 2019, Machine Head have been on fucking fire. 2022’s Of Kingdom And Crown was a blistering return to top form. The band’s first concept piece, it was tighter, heavier and more ferocious than anything they’d released since Burn My Eyes in 1994, but with some of the catchiest melodies and most irresistible choruses that Robb had ever penned.
