Metal Storm logo
Mechina - Cenotaph



6.4 | 46 votes |
Release date: 1 January 2023
Style: Industrial symphonic metal

Owners:

11 have it
4 want it


01. Petrichor
02. For All To See
03. Cenotaph
04. Starlifter
05. The Grand Hunt
06. Spasms Of Human Tragedy
07. Broken Matter Manipulation
08. The Haruspex Sunrise
09. Andara's Will

Staff review by
musclassia
Rating:
5.8
By this point, the grumbles about the annual New Year’s Day Mechina album are about as predictable as the album itself, but are the grumblings fair, and do things have to be this way?

Read more ››
published 04.01.2023 | Comments (7)

Found in 11 lists
Top lists



Comments

Comments: 14   Visited by: 161 users
02.01.2023 - 15:35
Rating: 6
Anghellic67
Yet another year starts with Mechina album and it's pretty much the same every time. Music is pretty good in some parts but vocals are just so boring.
Loading...
02.01.2023 - 23:30
Rating: 5
AndyMetalFreak
A Nice Guy
Contributor
Slightly more interesting than their previous release, the music isn't nearly as tedious, it's much better crafted, and the syhth work is top notch for the most part, but again the vocals ruin it for me, they are beyond tedious, to the point where they irritate me to high heaven, but I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from them.
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 02:13
Rating: 6
24emd
Theory Snob
Some good cinematic moments, but mostly quite dull. And ouch, are those even vocals??
----
"I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2
"Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend

Best 2024 Albums
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 08:17
Rating: 4
SamuelYK
I rated last years with 3 so this one gets a 4. slightly better instrumentals but my god those vocals are annoying beyond belief. like a dying dolphin wrapped in reverb and chorus
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 12:37
Rating: 9
MeatWolf
Haters gonna hate while I'm more than fine with Siege, Venator and Cenotaph altogether. Andara's Will is horrendous and The Haruspex Sunrise is below average, the rest is superb and highly enjoyable melodic electronic symphodjentmechina we all know. As if there are other bands playing this kind of music with this level of quality. Cenotaph and The Grand Hunt are top tier bangers.
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 12:40
Rating: 5
RaduP
CertifiedHipster
Staff
Written by MeatWolf on 03.01.2023 at 12:37

As if there are other bands playing this kind of music

I think other bands have the good taste not to emulate this kind of music
----
Do you think if the heart keeps on shrinking
One day there will be no heart at all?
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 15:34
Rating: 9
MeatWolf
You're free to return to that dozen of ACDC albums you've rated so highly
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 20:54
A Real Mönkey
Give me AC/DC over this junk any day.
----
Need a break from headbanging? Restore your street cred by visiting my hip-hop list!

Tha Swagnum Opus: A Selection Of Hip-Hop For The Curious Metalhead
Loading...
03.01.2023 - 21:03
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
I will stand against any Acca Dacca slander on these forums.
----
14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
Loading...
04.01.2023 - 02:11
Rating: 6
24emd
Theory Snob
Written by MeatWolf on 03.01.2023 at 12:37

Haters gonna hate while I'm more than fine with Siege, Venator and Cenotaph altogether. Andara's Will is horrendous and The Haruspex Sunrise is below average, the rest is superb and highly enjoyable melodic electronic symphodjentmechina we all know. As if there are other bands playing this kind of music with this level of quality. Cenotaph and The Grand Hunt are top tier bangers.

I see what you mean, the music is pretty enjoyable if a bit bland. If it were instrumental I might enjoy it a bit more. 6.5 seems fair in my eyes. But hey, opinions.
----
"I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense." - Proverbs 30:2
"Music? Well, it's just entertainment, folks!" - Devin Townsend

Best 2024 Albums
Loading...
04.01.2023 - 11:47
Rating: 9
MeatWolf
Written by 24emd on 04.01.2023 at 02:11

Written by MeatWolf on 03.01.2023 at 12:37

Haters gonna hate while I'm more than fine with Siege, Venator and Cenotaph altogether. Andara's Will is horrendous and The Haruspex Sunrise is below average, the rest is superb and highly enjoyable melodic electronic symphodjentmechina we all know. As if there are other bands playing this kind of music with this level of quality. Cenotaph and The Grand Hunt are top tier bangers.

I see what you mean, the music is pretty enjoyable if a bit bland. If it were instrumental I might enjoy it a bit more. 6.5 seems fair in my eyes. But hey, opinions.

Instrumentals are provided for every album since Acheron
Loading...
04.01.2023 - 13:19
Rating: 6
Callisto
After a first listen, I'd say it's not that repetitive (as some has said, at least more varied than previous releases).

Also, I don't have a problem with the vocals, Neurotech or Dol Ammand/Theta do mostly this prog "Allan Parsons" thing and to me it kinda works, something a bit different throughout the album, like growls, or thrash metal vocals could add to the mix, but to me is still enjoyable.

Worth a listening or two IMO
Loading...
04.01.2023 - 17:09
theFIST
Written by Callisto on 04.01.2023 at 13:19

Also, I don't have a problem with the vocals, Neurotech or Dol Ammand/Theta do mostly this prog "Allan Parsons" thing and to me it kinda works, something a bit different throughout the album, like growls, or thrash metal vocals could add to the mix, but to me is still enjoyable.

with Dol Ammad the whole music is made to fit the choir, Mechina has a much more djenty sound nowadays that would need harsh vocals at times, or at least something significantly different from what they use, and they already had a vocal variety that would work now before they turned towards djent, when it wasn"t even as necessary to mix as it is now
----
http://metalstormmusicianscorner.bandcamp.com
Written by Warman on 07.11.2007 at 22:39
Haha, that's like saying "compose your own Metal album and upload it here, instead of writing a review of an album". :lol:

Loading...
05.01.2023 - 11:05
Rating: 6
Callisto
Written by theFIST on 04.01.2023 at 17:09

with Dol Ammad the whole music is made to fit the choir, Mechina has a much more djenty sound nowadays that would need harsh vocals at times, or at least something significantly different from what they use, and they already had a vocal variety that would work now before they turned towards djent, when it wasn"t even as necessary to mix as it is now

Yeah, I don't disagree, we just have different tastes.

For me the mix of the soft prog vocals (I still don't know how to properly describe them XD ) with djent is a nice contrast, my only problem is that Mechina ONLY uses this and ends up being as predictable as their release schedule.
And yes, Mechina used more variety in vocals before, but that only goes to show that it is an artistic choice which we can agree or not, but finally is their prerogative.

With Dol everything is so well adjusted that to me becomes nice but boring, instead I could listen to Cenotaph form start to finish with a decent amount of interest.
Loading...

Hits total: 2621 | This month: 26