It comes as no surprise after one listen through The Passing that Machinery hail from Sweden. The memorable melodies, the crushing guitar riffs, and intricate rhythms, the myriad of vocal styles, the atmosphere, all characteristics of many a band on the Swedish extreme metal scene, and these elements and many more are found in abundance on this new release from Machinery. Although opening cut "Cold" sees nary a death metal note delivered, it's still a haunting melodic metal track, which segues into the Scar Symmetry-by-way-of Strapping Young Lad monster "Reason Is the Truth", fueled by monstrous growls and thick & meaty guitar riffs. In addition, if you like your melo-death with flash guitar solos, look for plenty of them in this monster piece. The vocals on "I Divine" remind a tad of Devin Townsend, and musically the song has a bit in common with modern day In Flames or Soilwork, while keyboards come into play in a big way on the symphonic metal track "Dead Man". Rich and melodic, this one's a real keeper, catchy yet plenty heavy. After the brutal thrashy death metal of "Delirium In Vengeance", the band once again dives into melodic & symphonic metal on "Bloodline", more than a little bit reminding of the mighty Mercenary with their ability to combine crushing power/death metal styles with tons of keyboards and soaring vocal melodies. "Decide My Pain" and the title track take a more futuristic cyber metal approach (think Devin Townsend Band meets Fear Factory), while the closer "Waiting For the Wave" combines beefy guitar riffs, rumbling grooves, melodic clean vocals, and bubbling keyboards, ending this highly varied and enjoyable album. Honestly, Machinery have the potential to reach a lot of different types of metal fans with The Passing, as there are both extreme and melodic sides to this solid offering that show a band who can not only play their instruments well, deliver plenty of aggression, but also write a damn catchy tune or two.
Track Listing
1) Cold
2) Reason Is the Truth
3) I Divine
4) Dead Man
5) Delirium in Vengeance
6) Bloodline
7) Decide By Pain
8) The Passing
9) Waiting For the Wave
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