Band:	Machine Head
Album:	Supercharger
Style:	Alternative metal
Release date:	October 2001

01. Declaration
02. Bulldozer
03. White-Knuckle Blackout!
04. Crashing Around You
05. Kick You When You're Down
06. Only The Names
07. All In Your Head
08. American High
09. Brown Acid
10. Nausea
11. Blank Generation
12. Trephination
13. Deafening Silence
14. Supercharger
15. Hole In The Sky [Black Sabbath cover] [digipak bonus]
16. Ten Fold [digipak bonus]
17. The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears [live] [digipak bonus]
18. Desire To Fire [live] [digipak bonus]

An awful lot of speculation went on about Machine Head, for the last two years. The release of "The Burning Red" came as a complete surprise for the first-hour fans. 'Don't care!' said Robb Flynn, 'we'll come up with the perfect mixture of ourselves'. Is it possible? How can a band mix "Burn My Eyes" with "The Burning Red", without damaging the brilliant reputation of "The More Things Change?"? There's a way.

Entitled "Supercharger", the fourth Machine Head record indeed is a fine mixture of the previous albums. From opener "Bulldozer" to the closing title song, it'll have you wonder what exactly you're listening to, but give the album some time, to let songs like "Only the Names" and "Deafening Silence" grow and grow beyond their borders. Robb Flynn and co. have written some fine songs and, although the album is suffering from a lack of promotion ("Crashing Around You", to be the first single, was cancelled due September 11, leaving the album un-introduced), it is proven that a mixture of thrash metal and hip-hop does work. Songs like "Crashing Around You" and "Bulldozer" seems to be the next logical step after "Ten Ton Hammer", whilst "American High" (kicking off with a quote from the Tarzan-movie) is a step closer to "The Burning Red".

Eight years after the release of the debut LP, there have been a lot of changes in the musical scene. Bands like Korn and Deftones opened a door, which is also the way through for this album, a mixture of rap and metal isn't a big shame right now (as in '94 with "A Thousand Lies"), and I can only hope Machine Head realise what they've done, in three years' time they've got to come up with new material and, in a way, Machine Head's future is more shocking than this album.

Nothing but future talk here, sorry. It's about the present, about "Supercharger". A powerful name for a powerful album, so in a way, it's a fine chosen title. But on the other hand, what does a "supercharger" have in common with metal? Ask yourself this sort of questions when you're buying this album. Do I like "TBR" or "BME"? Chances are, you'll like both, as I do. But then again, chances are you'll spit on this album, since it still features too much rap, too much scratching and definitely too many modern influences which made "Burn My Eyes" so successful. On the other hand, a song like "Deafening Silence" (dedicated to September 11, and picked for the first American single) is supposed to be owned by every metal fan. Same thing with "All In Your Head" and "White Knuckle Blackout!", songs that are based on the same Machine Head style, with simple verses and powerful verses. The haunting melodies of some tracks are really creepy at some times, not to be taken by a true thrash-fan. The rich amount of rap on this album will be a reason to buy, yet to leave it in the shelves. Fans of "the Burning Red"; buy it! Fans of "Burn My Eyes"; if you're already sick of "The More Things Change?", don't buy. Machine Head is back in their own typical style; heavy, powerful and leaving the listener with an open mouth, either because you're with us, or you're against them. True American style.