The latest track unveiled from the Californian metal stalwarts' forthcoming album, Of Kingdom and Crown, has got big riffs, big melodies, big everything
(Image credit: Gina Wetzler/Redferns)
Machine Head have dropped a thumping new single, Unhallowed. It's the latest track to be released from the band's upcoming 10th studio album, Of Kingdom and Crown.
The track is markedly more down-tempo than the previously released Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate in its first few minutes, before shifting into sixth gear with a brutally thrashy arrangement packed with thunderous palm-muted riffs and über-melodic dual-lead guitar lines.
Watch the band play Unhallowed live from their online Electric Happy Hour series below.
“Drowning in the deepest depression of his life, Eros is at a breaking point,” Flynn explains. “Collecting heartaches, loss, and near psychotic isolation, Unhallowed is the beginning of a powerful shift of our story.
“An introspective narrative starts the song lyrically, which is a collaborative effort written by myself, guitarist Wacław 'Vogg' Kiełtyka and bassist/backing vocalist Jared MacEachern and encapsulates the collective strength of this writing team.
"Anchored by an absolutely monstrous groove, the vocals melodically mirror the state of mind of Eros as he reels from the loss of his mother to a drug overdose and begins a slow downward spiral into madness. However, the culmination of the track infuses some much-needed light, but will it be enough?”
(Image credit: Press)
Due August 26, Of Kingdom and Crown is a 13-track concept album that follows the stories of two main characters: Ares and Eros. Throughout the album, the band will “detail how their lives intertwine”
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Specifically, Ares is the focus of the story “who loses the love of his life (Amethyst) and goes on a murderous rampage against the vile sect responsible for her murder”. Eros, on the other hand, is “the perpetrator, who loses his mother to a drug overdose and becomes radicalized in the aftermath. Eros goes off the deep end manifesting his own killing spree.”
The album’s concept was loosely inspired by the series in the sense that in the storyline, there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guy
Robb Flynn
The album, Flynn explains, is actually inspired by Japanese anime. “Thanks to my two teenage boys my family has become obsessed with this awesome Japanese anime series called Attack On Titan,” he says.
“The album’s concept was loosely inspired by the series in the sense that in the storyline, there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ guy. Both characters believe they’re doing the right thing as it applies to their being, but both are committing acts of pure atrocity and evil. The opening track is basically our character number one’s [Ares] origin story.”
Of Kingdom and Crown is available to pre-order now and will be released via Nuclear Blast on August 26. Take a look at its tracklist below.
Sam was Staff Writer at GuitarWorld.com from 2019 to 2023, and also created content for Total Guitar, Guitarist and Guitar Player. He has well over 15 years of guitar playing under his belt, as well as a degree in Music Technology (Mixing and Mastering). He's a metalhead through and through, but has a thorough appreciation for all genres of music. In his spare time, Sam creates point-of-view guitar lesson videos on YouTube under the name Sightline Guitar.
