DAMN THE MACHINE

"Damn the Machine" is the self-titled debut full-length studio album by US heavy rock/metal act Damn the Machine. The album was released through A&M Records in June 1993. Damn the Machine was founded by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland and includes his brother Mark on drums. Dave Clemmons on vocals/guitar, and David Randi on bass completes the lineup. Chris Poland released a solo album in 1990, but apparently missed playing in a band constellation and thus Damn the Machine was born.

The music on the album is a sophisticated type of heavy rock/metal with slight jazz rock/fusion leanings. The latter stylistic element is rather subdued though, and only heard on occasion. While I initially expected the album to be loaded with instrumental music, that's actually far from the truth, as the music on the album features vocals. The instrumental parts (parts without vocals) are usually sections with guitar solos, so overall the music is pretty regular vers/chorus structured heavy rock/metal. It's generally well written and relatively catchy, but honestly I only remember very few tracks once the album has ended, and that of course a minor issue, even though the album is highly enjoyable while it plays. There's an almost easy listening and accessible way about the music, even though it occasionally rocks pretty hard.

The musicianship is strong on all posts, although Dave Clemmons hasn't got the most remarkable or distinct sounding voice. There's nothing wrong with his skills though, and his performance on this album is passionate and suits the music well. The rest of the band are very well playing too, and not surprisingly some of the highlights are Chris Poland's guitar solos, but also the rather intriguing rhythm section, and the general guitar work on the album.

While Damn the Machine generally sounds very little like Megadeth, I still think there are some features on the album that remind me of the most soft and rock oriented tracks by the Dave Mustaine led act. The sound production which is clear, organic, and detailed also lead my thoughts in the direction of the early 90s releases by Megadeth.

Upon conclusion "Damn the Machine" is a quality release and a relatively great debut album by Damn the Machine. The band would be short lived though and this would be their only album release before disbanding. They probably lacked that last punch and memorability in their songwriting to instantly succeed, but there is definitely potential here for something greater. Although that was never to happen a 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved for this album.