With many of Prog’s heavyweights well over what many would consider the term “young” many believe that the genre is an old man’s game. Challenging this statement has seen a birth of countless amounts of interesting and innovative Progressive bands. One of the latest who are no doubt set to be making waves in Prog pools are Maschine.
[tracklist]
- Resistance
- Night And Day
- Make Believe
- Hidden In Plain Sight
- A New Reality
- Megacyma
[/tracklist][details]
[length]51:00[/length]
[record_label]Inside Out[/record_label]
[release_date]November 18th[/release_date]
[/details]
Very much in their infancy Maschine are a band that could well be somewhat of a gateway for the less initiated in the Prog spectrum. Going against the classic Dream Theater technicality grain, the band instead focus on clear cut song writing. With their album being a total of six songs most have a lengthy time attached to it. Opening from their mysterious chrysalis “Resistance“, a twelve minute number is very much a slow burner, yet its flames are just white hot as you might expect. Fluctuating throughout its lifespan the track completely ebbs and flows following sometimes dramatic phrasings.
The choral like opening of “Make Believe” which reappears at the songs crescendo led by female vocalist Marie Eve De Gaultier sees the softer side to this band portrayed. Yet by no means less intricate, listening to subtle changes on the kit as the song progresses with the accompanying vocal layer of male vocals. Anchoring themselves with a primary melody the band then mound the track around this sound. Adding a dash of Vai influenced soloing all adds to the progressive nature of the track. Though not all of the tracks on Naturalis are huge odyssey’s the slight off kilter “Night And Day” provides a more immediate approach proving that the band are able to be concise as much as they are lofty and long winded.
“A New Reality” at first sounding slightly close to The Contortionist for my liking quickly shows it’s own personality ensuring that Maschine aren’t a copy cat band and have instead creating their own multifaceted niche. Similar to the Devin Townsend / Anekke Van Giesbergen combination both singers work brilliantly in tandem. Finishing up with yet another eleven minute monster “Megacyma” small samples allude to an idea of soundtrack before our instruments are slowly drawn in for a guitar medley before the inquisitive piano creeps back in. Finishing up with a swelling chorus tails the album off in a fantastically space age, modern fashion. Combining elements from all over the map of Prog without sounding like just another carbon copy band aiming to mimic Meshuggah or copy Dream Theater, Maschine may be young but these young bucks have got a bright future ahead.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]Maschine might be a young band but their second album Naturalis shows some serious promise that Prog heads the world over would definitely enjoy. [/why]
