It’s been a crazy year for Machine Head. The Bay Area bruisers were forced the indefinitely postpone all future tour dates due to COVID-19, but then roared back with a big new single and plans for a new album. Now, as part of their Electric Happy Hour series, Machine Head have posted a complete play-through of their 1997 sophomore album The More Things Change… to celebrate the record’s 24th anniversary.
There’s something beautiful about watching Machine Head play an album that is sometimes lost to time in a rehearsal space full of flickering strobe lights. The band have become such a massive institution in the metal scene, performing on the main stage of huge fests like Wacken and headlining their own ‘An Evening with…’ tours. And yet Robb Flynn and Co. have always been vocal proponents of the underground, and have never cast themselves as rock stars when a metal band is all they’ve ever wanted to be. Watching them rip through “Ten Ton Hammer” in a room decorated by Spencer’s Gifts is a great reminder of that.
Check out The More Things Change… in its entirety below:
The stream of The More Things Change… comes on the heels of Machine Head announcing plans for a new album. The band, who dropped their new single “My Hands Are Empty” back in November, recently posted a picture to their Instagram of the members sitting around a soundboard, with the caption, “What do we have here?” The implication seems to be that new material is in the works, which leaves us hoping and praying for a fresh Machine Head album in 2021.
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When Machine Head’s new album will hit shelves and streaming services remains to be seen. For now, check out the band’s latest, “My Hands Are Empty,” below:
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Words by Chris Krovatin
