Hailing from Greensboro, North Caroline, comes metalcore band Bloodjinn, whose latest album The Machine Runs on Empty is their first for Pluto Records after spending some time previously releasing CD's on Goodfellow and Tribunal Records. While this is very solid and well played stuff here, featuring bombastic metal riffage, brutal breakdowns, lethal hardcore shouts, and some memorable melodies, you're not going to find much originality here unfortunately, which is not necessarily a bad thing considering how oversaturated the metalcore scene is these days. Some of the dual guitar harmonies are actually done very well on songs like "Mirrored Human" and "In the First Degree", and if you are looking for a monster crunch machine with tremendous breakdowns, look no further than "Truth Within", a song that sees guitarists Kyle Rakes & former He Is Legend axe man McKenzie Bell working overtime. Other tunes like "The Unloved", "Inhale Exhale", and the title track are all solid thumpers and well played, but the problem is many of these pieces start to sound the same after a while, as the band sticks to a similar formula, tempo, and pace throughout, not helped by singer Joel Collins' emotionally charged but ultimately monotonous vocal screams. He's got the goods to punish you with some aggressive shouts, but he doesn't vary his delivery one bit, and about halfway into this CD the listener can easily grow tired of his lack of variety to his vocal attack. Bottom line is, This Machine Runs on Empty is solid metal, but nothing groundbreaking. If you like bands like As I Lay Dying, Hatebreed, and God Forbid, then you'll certainly want to give this a try.
Track Listing
1. In the First Degree
2. Break the Silence
3. Mirrored Human
4. Truth Within
5. Moment of Clarity
6. This Machine Runs on Empty
7. The Unloved
8. Maker
9. Inhale Exhale
10. See Through
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
