Maschine - "Naturalis"

Maschine - Naturalis
2016, Inside Out

1. Resistance
2. Night and Day
3. Make Believe
4. Hidden in Plain Sight
5. A New Reality
6. Megacyma
Bonus Tracks
7. Eyes, Pt. 2 (Live)
8. Rubidium (Live)

You might remember way back in 2013, I gave Maschine's debut, Rubidium a spot on my top picks of the year. I didn't even know the band was putting out a new album until a few weeks before it was released. I am so on top of things these days! Anyway, Naturalis is pretty much a fine continuation of what the band started with their debut. It's funny, two of the complaints I had with the first album were kind of addressed on this one. The vocalist doesn't seem like he's trying to sound all gravelly or tough, he just sings. Also, the lyrics have changed from relationships to natural disasters and war stories. Definitely more epic than before. If you want more music like the first album but with a little more polish, then this album does the trick.

Useless Fact: "Megacyma" is about the Japanese tsunami from a few years ago.

Maschine - "Rubidium"

Maschine - Rubidium
2013, Inside Out

1. The Fallen
2. Rubidium
3. Cubixstro
4. Invincible
5. Venga
6. Eyes, Pt. 1
7. Eyes, Pt. 2
Bonus Tracks:
8. Chains
9. Reach Out

I'm surprised there isn't more buzz about Maschine. I found them through You Tube. The magic You Tube robot plopped "Eyes, Pt. 1" in my feed. It was an intriguing mix of progressive rock, metal, jazz, and maybe a little bit of pop. Maschine is definitely an eclectic and talented band. The songs are long, but never boring - filled with little guitar riffs and fills and a great sense of melody. The band also indulges in some 70's prog rock and pop as well. Other reviews have said they sound a little like Pain of Salvation and I'm sure that band was an influence. I do have a couple complaints. First, the vocals, while not bad, aren't as good as they could be. Sometimes it sounds like the vocalist is trying too hard to make his vocals sound "rock" instead of just singing the songs. It's not near enough to hurt my enjoyment - it's just something I noticed. Also, the lyrics really don't do anything for me as they are mostly variations on "girl, you done me wrong." I kind of expected music that's as epic and technical to have some more interesting and suitably epic lyrics. It's also entirely possible that I just don't understand what they're trying to do. Despite those nitpicks, Maschine remains one of my favorite finds of 2013. I really hope more people discover them!

Useless Fact: "Chains" and "Reach Out" are labeled as bonus tracks but I don't think there are any editions of this album without them. I can see why they were bonus tracks though as they don't seem to quite fit with the rest of the album. They're good, though.