Written by Jessica Santiago Lopez at 2012-08-13 16:31:33
Album Reviews :: 10 Years - Minus The Machine
Band: 10 Years - Minus The Machine
Label: PALEHORSE RECORDS/ILG
Release: 7th of August 2012
Line-up:
- Jesse Hasek - Lead Vocals
- Brian Vodinh - Drums/Guitar
- Ryan "Tater" Johnson - Guitar/Screams
- Lewis Cosby - Bass
The album:
10 Years is a band that I’ve been following for a long time now and I still don’t get why they don’t get more attention here in The Netherlands, while it’s the complete opposite in the States.
This American Alternative Metal/Rock band released their fifth studio album ‘Minus The Machine’ last week, on the 7th of August. I couldn’t wait to finally hear and see what the band had come up with this time, because even though I did quite enjoy their previous record ‘Feeding The Wolves’, I did think that 10 Years had lost a important part of their sound and their identity on it.
You can immediately hear with the first track "Minus The Machine" that the band though so as well. They decided to take full control again for this album…and that is exactly what you can hear! It’s clear from the beginning that it’s an amazing and intense album again this time and the feeling I got when I first heard their older material like ‘Killing All That Holds You’…that’s the feeling I’m getting with this album again. It’s exactly what every 10 Years fan had hoped for and it’s so good to hear that the band found their identity and intensity back.
"Minus The Machine" pulls you right in to later on release an explosion of emotion and intensity during the chorus. We hear the trusted, warm and expressive vocals from Jesse, that go right in to your soul and that gives you goose bumps and also the catch and cool lyrics that get stuck in your head right away. Another thing I notice quite soon is that this might be one of the heaviest and darkest 10 Years records until now. After "Battle Lust", again a kickass track, 10 Years decided to slow the pace down and one of the most beautiful tracks on ‘Minus The Machine’ follows; "Forever Fields (Sowing Season)". This beautiful piano lead track is breathtaking and will get a hold of you… it’s just such an amazing track you just have to hear if you’re a music lover.
The single "Backlash" follows. When I first heard "Backlash" I fell in love with it and it just sounded so promising for this record with Jesse’s whispering, the awesome rhythms that are created by the cool and refreshing drums from Brian and the powerful lyrics. It also fits perfectly in this album setting to later on create space for the slow paced "Writing on the Walls". Beautiful guitar picking and man, what a chorus!
You know, I could go on telling you about all of the following tracks, but every track on this album is brilliant and you should definitely give each song a chance. As I said, I would recommend every track on this record, but I did pick a few songs out of the rest of the tracks on this record that you should definitely listen to like "Dancing With The Dead", "Soma", "Tightrope" and the heaviest track on this album "Knives".
Conclusion:
With ‘Minus The Machine’, an album that’s been fully produced by the band, 10 Years delivers one of the best…if not THE best album of their career until now. The single "Backlash" promised a lot before the release, but the album is way better than we could have hoped for. The trusted 10 Years sound, that cool, awesome intensity in their music, vocals and lyrics is back and it’s a record that pulls you in from the beginning and doesn’t let go until the end and that is refreshing and original as well. It’s without a doubt one of the best records of this year and definitely recommended for all the 10 Years fans, alternative rock and metal lovers and for the music lovers who are open for this genre as well.
Tracklist:
01 – Minus The Machine
02 – Battle Lust
03 – Forever Fields (Sowing Season)
04 – Backlash
05 – Writing On The Walls
06 – Dancing With The Dead
07 – Sleeper
08 – Soma
09 – Tightrope
10 – Knives
11 – Birth — Death
12 – …And All The Other Colors
Links:
