Machine Head 2012 Winter Tour – REVIEW

On Machine Head’s 2012 Winter tour they came to the House of Blues in Chicago with Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour. You can check out our review after the break!

January is the coldest month of the year and is one that can sometimes turn people away from going to shows because of the reputable weather conditions January is known for. But on sunday night of the 22nd, that didn’t stop 1,000 fans from seeing one of the hottest metal shows of the winter. Machine Head doing their first headline tour in 7 years with Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour as support.

Darkest Hour got the show started with their 15+ year brand of melodic death metal. Windmill head-bangs, shredding solos and rip roaring vocals in the vein of At The Gates are there to make sure they have your attention. “Less talk, more rock” was the name of the game as they busted through many songs off their newest album 2011’s “The Human Romance”. DH made sure they went out with a bang when they closed out with their classic “Doomsayer”, the opening track off the 2007 album “Deliver Us”. You can tell many in attendance had never seen DH before and by the time their set was over, approval of their sound was definitely shown by the packed venue.

Suicide Silence followed next and the crowd started to come alive even more when these guys got going. Opener’s “You Only Live Once” and “Wake Up” got exactly what vocalist Mitch Lucker requested of the audience and that was to bounce at his request. Mitch and co. were also very well supportive of the hecklers of their band as they used it to their advantage to bring an even more energetic set especially when they busted out “Fuck Everything”. Closing song “No Pity For A Coward” had set the bar for Darkest Hour and headliners Machine Head to match/top as the band and audience were together as one with this song. Though they are still a young band they definitely have what it takes to come back and potentially even headline venues of the same size.

Finally, the band everyone was there to see, the legendary Machine Head was up and ready to dish out 90 minutes of fast American metal. Fresh off their critically acclaimed new album, 2011’s “Unto The Locust”, Machine Head wasted no time in getting things going with opener “I Am Hell (Sonata In C#)”. Even though there were a 1,000 strong in attendance for this show it felt and sounded like as if MH were playing to 10,000 people as the audience sang along word for word on every song the Head ripped through. An arena type of show in a smaller setting it was and it translated VERY well. “HEADBANG MOTHERFUCKER” vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn repeats and that audience delivered as if they were listening to a drill sergeant giving out direct orders. MH classic “Aesthetics Of Hate” was dedicated to the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and the energy it gave off to the crowd was pure ecstasy. MH also didn’t forget about their older catalogue as well as busting out “Old” from their debut “Burn My Eyes” or even “The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears” from “The Burning Red”. Several older songs and 6 of the 7 songs off the new album later, MH had gotten ready for an encore of encores. EVERYONE in the audience was singing along to “Halo” off 2007’s “The Blackening” as if those lyrics were their very last words. Closing song Davidian gave the crowd one last round of going crazy and to reference old school metal band Anthrax, it was a madhouse! Members of Darkest Hour and Dirge Within sang along to the chorus of Davidian with the Head on stage. The dust finally settled and the band thanked everyone for being there you can see the appreciaton on the whole band’s faces.

If you have a chance at seeing this tour anywhere within North America, do not hesitate to miss this show for a minute! It is worth braving through the weather for and you have my word that it’s worth it!

Information about the review…
Tour: Machine Head 2012 Winter Tour
Bands: Machine Head, Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour
Reviewer: Nicholas Wier
Date: January 22, 2012
Venue: House of Blues in Chicago, IL