By: Charlie Butler
Album Type:
EP
Date Released:
01/08/2016
Label:
Independent
Their previous crust leanings are now mostly overtaken by spiky
noise-rock indebted mangling as demonstrated on the gnarly “Introwidows” and
early Mastodon/Baroness style complex sludge on “Mutual”. You can’t argue with
the title of the EP either, with “Bigger Machine” taking the greatness of the
Manchester duo’s debut release and cranking it into the red, with a whirlwind
of breakneck riffs and unexpected pop hooks that will keep you coming back for
more.
“Bigger Machine”
CD//DD track listing:
1).
Fangdy
2).
Love Will Find A Way
3).
Introwidows
4).
Mutual
5).
Steve Brooks
6).
Wcolt
7).
Quiet!
The Review:
You
can’t argue with the title of Big Machine’s new EP. “Bigger Machine” takes the greatness of the Manchester
duo’s debut release and cranks it into the red.
While
their first EP bore a lot of the trademarks of the members’ previous band, the
much-missed raging hardcore beast Hammers, this new release sees them begin to
forge a distinct sound of their own. Big Machine are still totally focussed on
riffs (and generate a staggering amount of them in the space of 14 minutes) but
their style has shifted slightly. Their previous crust leanings are now mostly
overtaken by spiky noise-rock indebted mangling as demonstrated on the gnarly “Introwidows”
and early Mastodon/Baroness
style complex sludge on “Mutual”. Big Machine aren’t shy about
having a huge affection for thunder pop behemoths either, with the band making
their admiration explicit with the excellent “Steve Brooks” and the
breathless opening salvo of “Fangdy” and “Love Will Find A Way”.
There
is a lot more variation in the vocal department this time around too. The band
manage to effortlessly integrate some clean singing into proceedings alongside
the expected relentless roars. This sits
well with some of the more melodic musical elements of the EP too, expanding
the range of their sound without compromising on impact.
“Bigger Machine” is a great release, a whirlwind
of breakneck riffs and unexpected pop hooks that will keep you coming back for
more. Hopefully it won’t be long before the band get to work on “Even Bigger Machine”.
