Venue: Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
Date: February 10th, 2018
Machine Head: My excitement level for this show slipped a little bit over the past month. Their new LP Catharsis is a pretty suspect effort that put an abrupt stop to a four album run of brilliance for the Bay Area groove metal stalwarts and since I'm a cynical asshole, I was concerned the general lack of inspiration that surrounded this record was going to bleed into their live show. However, the fact that they are currently touring on an underwhelming record didn't prevent their latest run of "An Evening with Machine Head" from being yet another powerful showcase for their substantial gifts as performers.
The beauty of these "An Evening With" shows is that you get to see Machine Head play an extended headlining set in a setting that is tailor-made for their strengths as a band. Getting to spend over two hours with them in a rowdy venue that accentuates the power of their signature chug riffs and places every audience member within 20-30 feet of the stage is a dream scenario for any fan of theirs.
The consistent effectiveness of Machine Head's live shows starts with the efforts of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Robb Flynn. While there's no denying that he's a cornball that dispenses some of the most cringe-inducing, angst-ridden banter to ever come out of a human being's mouth, Flynn is an exceptional frontman that tears down every stage he steps foot on. He's a maestro at working crowds into a constant state of chaos and at almost 51 years old, his vocals are (remarkably) still pristine. As long as Flynn continues to deliver at this level in a live setting, I'm willing to overlook all of the douchey shit that flies out of his mouth.
Per usual, the high quality of Machine Head's set was solidified by some terrific song selections. This setlist was so well-assembled that not even the presence of Catharsis' two biggest stinkers ("Bastards" and "Is Anybody Out There?") could halt the momentum. The majestic 10-minute epic "Clenching the Fists of Dissent" from 2007's The Blackening was a beautiful surprise opener to the show, the long-time staples ("Davidian", "Imperium", "Ten Ton Hammer", "Bulldozer") were perfectly distributed throughout the set and fan favorite "Halo" remained in the coveted finale spot that it rightfully deserves. A little more variety in terms of the old songs they play (more rarely-played tunes like "None but My Own" from Burn My Eyes would be dope) wouldn't kill them, but that's a relatively small/borderline petty complaint for an otherwise spectacular set.
In short, this was about as satisfying as an over two hour-performance can possibly be. The crowd was consistently into it, every member of the band was spot-on technically and above all, I was completely immersed in the show the entire time they were on stage (except for when they were playing the aforementioned poopfests from their new record). While it's probably not realistic considering the ever-changing landscape of the music industry, I'm completely on-board with Machine Head doing these support-free, career-spanning performances in intimate venues for the rest of their career.
Score:
Machine Head 9.5/10
Setlist:
Clenching the Fists of Dissent
Volatile
Now We Die
Beautiful Mourning
The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears
Imperium
Phil Demmel Guitar Solo
Darkness Within
Catharsis
From This Day
Ten Ton Hammer
Is There Anybody Out There?
Locust
Bastards
Drum Solo
Bulldozer
Killers & Kings
Davidian
Behind a Mask
None but My Own
Aesthetics of Hate
Game Over
Old
Halo
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