Unto the Locust

Occupation

Vocal / Guitar: Robert Flynn
Guitar: Phil Demmel
Bass: Adam Duce
Drums: Dave McClain

Unto the Locust is the seventh studio album by the American thrash metal band Machine Head. It was released on September 23, 2011 via Roadrunner Records.

3.1 reviews
3.2 chart positions
3.3 Awards

Formation

Songwriting

Singer and guitarist Robert Flynn began during numerous tours for the previous album, The Blackening with collecting Riffideen for the new album. In November 2009, the band had a tour break of three months, which took Flynn for the songwriting. With the results he was not satisfied. In an interview he stated that the first ideas were kept quite simply in response to the long, complex songs of the previous album.

In March 2010, the band had a new tour break of several months. Two months later, Flynn began working again and started with new compositions. Together with drummer Dave McClain Flynn began with jam sessions at the newly rehearsal room the band. This was according to testimony by Flynn in a rather chaotic state, as in the room stacked the equipment and once order had to be created.

In einerm interview Robert Flynn explained that the new songs represent a natural progression from the previous album.

" Bob Dylan once said a wise sentence: music often takes on its own its own way. That was my approach to Unto The Locust. I'm not trying to change, Machine Head or our very own sound. Nevertheless, each album will be new, exciting and different. "

For the first time the band worked with a string quartet. The idea came to Flynn when he wrote the song Who We Are and suddenly heard children singing, a viola and a cello in his head. The contact to the string quartet established the band Green Day, who has worked at their album 21st Century Breakdown, with the same musicians. According to Flynn was the quartet of four women who were thrilled by the idea of time to play along on a metal album.

Studio recordings

The recordings for Unto The Locust found in the Jingle Town Studios held in Oakland, which is part of the rock band Green Day. The recordings took place in the period from 16 April to mid-June 2011. Robert Flynn was active as a producer, as with the two vorangegangengen albums. Mastering done by Ted Jensen. According to the original plans, Colin Richardson should mix the album. He had to cancel but because of a death in his family. Juan Urtega then took over the mixing in cooperation with Robert Flynn.

For the Special Edition of the album with The Sentinel and Witch Hunt, the band recorded two cover versions. The originals are from Judas Priest and Rush. In addition, the special edition includes an acoustic version of the song Darkness Within.

Background

1 bonus track limited edition

In the song I Am Hell is about a pyromaniac. Originally the guitarist Phil Demmel had the idea to write a song about a pyromaniac. However, Flynn could not write a proper text and initially dealt with the issue of pyromania. He found that men place more out of anger or revenge fire, while women act out of disappointed love. Because of this, he wrote the text from the perspective of a pyromaniac.

The quasi- title track Locust (English for, grasshopper ') is, according to Flynn a metaphor for people who act like locusts and devastate everything and destroy what they encounter on their way. In Darkness Within is about Flynn's love of music and the importance that the music plays in his life.

In Who We Are the living conditions in the United States are criticized. In an interview, Flynn said he, when he watches TV there or newspaper reading, always have the feeling that it was not a question to the America where he lives. The singing children are the two sons of Robert Flynn, the son of Phil Demmels and the children of the sound engineer Juan Urtega.

"When I wrote the lyrics of the chorus, I wondered how a child would feel if it knew what it will take here on earth one day. "

Reception

Reviews

The German magazine Metal Hammer has named Unto The Locust album of the month. Matthias Weckmann wrote in his review that the album " greater [ is ] as the expectations ," and that " classically inspired Metal anno 2011 can not stage massive ". He also predicted that the album would be included in most of the "Leaderboards 2011," and gave him the highest grade 7 Conny shipbuilders from the magazine Rock Hard praised the fact that the band " so complex and experimental as never presented before, without reference to to lose " their thrash basis. " Compositional innovation and tradition " would " keep the balance ". Shipbuilders rated Unto the Locust with nine out of ten. Peter Mildner from the online magazine metal.de certified by the band " a sure-fire sense of melody, the only hurdle is that you in front of the boxes decreases after a few runs on his knees and if one just revealing enlightenment thanks to the sky shoots ". He forgave nine out of ten. According to Kai Esch Rich From Online Magazine undergrounded.de " fill the album not only all expectations, it surpasses even". He forgave 9.5 out of ten.

Chart positions

Unto the Locust debuted at number five on the German album charts. This was the highest chart entry to date in the band's history. In Austria, the album reached number six in Finland and eighth. Tenth place occupied Unto the Locust in Australia and Switzerland. Thus, the album reached five finishes in the top ten worldwide. In the U.S. album charts, the album was ranked 22 and was sold there in the first week more than 17,000 times. For the third consecutive year, the band was able to increase the number of units sold in the U.S. by 20 percent.

Awards

The editors of the German magazine Metal Hammer chose Unto The Locust album of the year. When Leserpoll of Metal Hammer Machine Head occupied first place in the categories of Best Album 2011 and Best Song 2011 Best Artist 2011. Readers of the German magazine Rock Hard chose the album as well as album of the year.

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