MACHINE HEADJournalist and Photography: Alex Stojanovic
Published: February 16, 2015 The Phoenix Concert Theatre
Toronto, ON Canada February 4, 2015 We are smack in the middle of winter here in Toronto. We'll be seeing temperatures below zero and snowfalls for another 5 weeks or so, but that is not stopping the dedicated metalheads of Toronto from going out to see their favourite bands in concert. On a cold and frigid Wednesday night in February, fans battled
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the freezing temperature, the snowy, wet and slushy roads and sidewalks to go to the Phoenix Concert Theatre to see the one and only Machine Head. This was my second time seeing Machine Head, after seeing them for the first time in January 2012 at the Sound Academy on the Eighth Plague Tour around the time Unto The Locust came out. This time, they're doing a solo headline tour dubbed "An Evening With Machine Head", with no support bands, so they have the opportunity to play a longer set and take the audience on a musical journey with many hits and deep cuts, and touching every studio album, giving the fans a complete picture of what Machine Head has done in their 20 years as a band, resulting in a show that lasted for over 2 hours. It was also nice to see a show again at the Phoenix after about a year and a half. This was the first time where I had the task of reviewing the show, as well as taking pics in the photo pit. Navneet couldn't make it out to the show, so I was asked if I could pull double duty, and I said I would. Now I'm nowhere near as good a photographer as Navneet is, but I did my best in trying to take the best possible shots I could. It was fun and I wouldn't say "No" to doing it again in the future.
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Machine Head's stage set filled the stage to the limit. Anyone that has seen the stage at the Phoenix knows that it's not a big stage. Everything seemed crammed. There were lights and backdrops galore. Before the lights go out at any Machine Head show, "Diary Of A Madman" plays on the P.A, letting the band know it's time to head to the stage. When the demonic choir chant at the end of the song hits, that's when the lights go out. They kicked off the set with "Imperium", which is one of my many favourite Machine Head songs. It
was also one of the earliest metal songs I heard when I was first
getting into metal at 12 years old. It was pretty difficult to not
be able to pound my fist in the air and sing along during the song
while in the photo pit, but I at least mouthed along to the words
while staying cool and calm. Some of the new songs from Bloodstone
& Diamonds
that were performed included "Now We Die", "Sail Into
The Black", "Killers & Kings" and "Game
Over." Tracks
I was most excited to hear were "This Is The End",
"Aesthetics Of Hate", "Ten
Ton Hammer" and "Bite The Bullet". Giant
mosh pits are a staple at
Machine
Head
shows.
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That night, there was not one but two shows happening in Toronto simultaneously. One was Machine Head and the other was Napalm Death at the Opera House. During one of his in-between-song speeches, Robb acknowledged the Napalm Death show, and talked about Machine Head's first ever show in Toronto 20 years ago, and it just happened to be with Napalm Death at the Opera House. What a coincidence. Robb then went on to talk about how Rush is one of their biggest musical inspirations (I mean, who wouldn't be influenced by Rush right?), and how Rush's choice to go down their own path and do their own thing has inspired Machine Head to do the same thing by doing "Evening With" tours. This was all followed by "Darkness Within", which Robb was strumming the chords to on his acoustic guitar while talking. Machine Head usually end their shows with "Davidian", but they ended with "Halo" on this tour. When "Halo" finished and they announced they were going to take an end-of-set pic, everyone rushed to the front like an army going into battle, filling the air with horns.
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MACHINE HEAD
Robb Flynn - Lead vocals & guitars Phil Demmel - Lead guitars & backing vocals Jared MacEachern - Bass & backing vocals Dave McClain - Drums Label: Nuclear Blast Records Website: www.machinehead1.com www.facebook.com/MachineHead |
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