MP: Machinae Supremacy - Fury

Machinae Supremacy - Fury
2002 - 2007
Independently released online









1. Bouff
2. Soundtrack to the Rebellion
3. Legion of Stoopid
4. Multiball
5. Hubnester Inferno
6. Loot Burn Rape Kill Repeat
7. Fury
8. Steve's Quest
9. Sidology 1
10. Sidology 2
11. Sidology 3

Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the large delay between the previous posts. Personal problems cropped up at the wrong time and caused an untimely delay that we will strive to avoid in the future.
And on a musical note, if you like Rickrolling idiots but need something original, check this out. It's the voice actor from Looking for Group "Dick rolling." Get back all of those jerks who Rickroll you while you're half asleep!
And without further ado, onto the music!

ALBUM OVERVIEW

So Machinae (pronounced ma-SHEEN) Supremacy label themselves as "SID Metal," using the soundchip from the Commodore 64 to produce the video game-like sounds in their music (which is essentially power metal). More succinctly, it's power metal on 'roids. Or LSD. One of the two. Anyway, the first time I heard this band was when Pipedream sent me a link to their webpage. He told me to listen to this song by them, and I thought it was pretty awesome. Only later did I find out it had been a metalized Britney Spears cover. That's how awesome these guys are: they make BS (pun totally intended) sound good. Specifically to this album, this is a compilation of material they released through their website while promoting themselves and gaining popularity. It is still free to download, along with other material by them. Generally, this album compiles their more complex and less straightforward pieces, including many instrumentals, which I am partial too. w00t.

1. Bouff

Nothing like an upbeat instrumental to begin an album (how every one should start in my opinion). The meter in the "theme" of this piece is a awkwardly added to and sometimes the piece can get repetitive, but the sheer sonic force of this track makes it great to listen to. The guitar solo is interesting, but not necessarily anything of note. Overall, this track is solid, but not special.

2. Soundtrack to the Rebellion

The album actually begins to move with the second piece. The mellow introduction is unusual for Machinae Supremacy, but sets up the rest of the piece well. The riff is catchy and strong. Additionally, this is the first chance we get to hear Robert Stjärnström's (try saying THAT five times fast) vocals. Some may find his vocals too whining or weak, but he certainly is confident with his voice. Thankfully for him, this brings out his stronger aspects. The guitar solo in this piece is also stronger than Bouff's, though still of little note. The modulation at the last verse is unexpected but strong and serves only to enhance this already strong piece. The "angelic" backing and layered vocals also work well with one another. The piece concludes oddly, however, with a classically themed SID clip. This track is my favorite of the album. It's strong from start to finish and does not disappoint.

3. Legion of Stoopid

Another deviation from the standard Machinae Supremacy sound, it is evident where this piece is headed from its comedic introductory riff. Like the preceding song, its structure and riff are both strong, though this piece carries the extra burden of sounding comedic at the same time. The vocals in the repeating section could be stronger, but that is able to be overlooked. Unlike the last two pieces, the guitar solo in this piece actually presents something strong and powerful, contrasting well with the "circus theme" that appears after it. My only qualm is with the ending hits, as they seem a little too forced. Other than that, this is another strong piece to add to the album.

4. Multiball

The introduction of this song always makes me think of something military. Then the two cords hit, and I imagine a crappy fight scene instead. But moving along, Machinae Supremacy is back to instrumentals with this one. This instrumental is much stronger than Bouff. In this song I love how the changes in style and power don't affect the flow of this song; it always feels like a continuous piece. There are also hints of thrash metal hiding in this song, sometimes reminiscent of Orion (by Metallica). Sometimes the piece seems forced to continue rather than just ending, but it is not very noticeable. A nice change of pace.

5. Hubnester Inferno

The beginning of this song sounds more like a grunge piece than metal, and the rest of the piece follows suit. It has a generally lighter feel than the rest of the album, the acoustic guitar playing no small part. Unfortunately, this song is hindered a lot by the vocals. They are too harsh sounding for this song and drag it down in spots. After a run of stronger tracks, it's only natural to have something of a throw-away follow.

6. Loot Burn Rape Kill Repeat

Another instrumental piece, this one begins a lot lighter than the title would impress you to think. The choral and orchestral backing are used to great effect on this piece, and the small style change around 1:43 strengthens the piece. The guitars are wailing away on this one, and well at that. Though this piece is short, it leaves you feeling empowered. I wanted more from this piece, but what was given was amazing in its own right.

7. Fury

I really don't like this piece much. While there generally isn't much to complain about in terms of strength or sound, the overall piece is just without an impression. It sounds like the power metal pieces the average person would expect to hear. It's okay, but not particularly interesting.

8. Steve's Quest

Just from the title on this one, you can tell it's a lighter piece. I mean, who's ever heard of the valiant quest of a guy named Steve? And if you actually read that far into it, you're a major geek (I have a license for this). This instrumental is very upbeat and the adjective "jaunty" pops into my head for reasons unknown. Though there are a few interesting chord choices in the main theme, this piece generally is what you expect and nothing more. Opposing Fury, this happens to work in the favor of this piece. Stronger than some of the other stuff on this album. Also, for those of you keeping score at home, exactly half of the tracks up to this point have been instrumental. Don't tell me that isn't awesome. And more is still to come.

9 - 11. Sidology

As far as I know, this is Machinae Supremacy's only epic, and it's a 20+ minute power-driven instrumental. Though I appreciate the guts it takes to write a 20 minute epic (let alone an instrumental one), this song suffers from the expected repetition syndrome. Though strictly it doesn't repeat sections that often, it can cause the listener to zone out on occasion, giving it the feeling as if it were repeating itself. That being said, there are definitely strong aspects here, as well as a few easter eggs. Anyone who did their homework on old video game music should recognize some of the tunes used. Some come in quick succession (like the insert from Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda) and are tough to pick out, while others (like F-Zero) have sections devoted to their theme. An interesting piece in construction and execution, the only flaw in this song (droning), was inherent from its conception. Sidology is stronger than it was expected to be.

FINAL RATING: 4/5

I think I've used the word "strong" about 50+ times in this review, and that's the easiest way to sum up the album. There are few weak tracks here, and the ones that are can still hold their own. Even better, since it's free to download, there's nothing to lose but disc space by getting it. Definitely check this one out.

BEST TRACKS:

Soundtrack to the Rebellion, Legion of Stoopid, Loot Burn Rape Kill Repeat, Sidology, Multiball