https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NitYVpCLPWg Machine Head have had a strange history, with the initially laughed-at (but now utterly loved) "Let freedom reign with the shotgun blast!" lyric from their debut Burn My Eyes instantly putting off American audiences for what still appears to be a lifetime, even though the last two albums were nothing short of genre-defining. 2011's Unto the Locust would prove not to be as strong overall as 07's The Blackening, but as with any band that unknowingly puts out an album only to receive untold praise and adoration along the lines of "These guys are the new Metallica/Slayer/Other Impossibly High Benchmark", it was always going to be hard to hone that lightning strike twice. However, for The Blackening, Machine Head knew exactly what they were doing, and after casting away the shackles of nu-metal-tinged Supercharger they promptly burst out what remains one of the best album-opening tracks, and the most purely ferocious riffs of all time. From the pummelling chords that hold you in place only for a quick one-two of pinched harmonics to suitably take your head off, it's become the nearest thing to a Mortal Kombat-style fatality in audio form - whilst being just as fun and enjoyable as that sounds.