After releasing what was the top-selling debut album in the history
of Roadrunner Records in the shape of 1994's Burn My Eyes, Oakland's Machine Head were
faced with the unenviable task of coming up with a follow-up that would not only match its
predecessor in terms of intensity and unadulterated aggression, but actually surpass it in
the way of dynamics and songwriting maturity. A year in the making, The More Things
Change... is every bit the monstrous sophomore effort that the group's fans were waiting
for, a crushingly brutal statement that should firmly establish Machine Head as the
undisputed leaders of the ‘90s metal movement as well as one of the heaviest albums
ever to see the light of day.
In order to ensure that The More Things Change... would retain the ferociousness of the
group's debut while incorporating a host of new elements into the band's ever-evolving
sound, Machine Head spent the first half of 1996 writing and honing the ten compositions
that make up the new album, oftentimes changing and rearranging songs several times until
the group's own standards were met and satisfied. "Once a song was done, we didn't
just settle on that," explained guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn. "There are a
couple of songs on this record that were taken apart and put back together two, three,
four times—songs where we were completely changing riffs, completely throwing out
riffs, and just restructuring it until it was killer, until we were happy."
While possessing the trademark down tuned riffing style that characterized the group's
debut offering, The More Things Change... is a more musically diverse effort that once
again showcases Machine Head's knack for creating dynamics in their music without taking
anything away from the sheer brutality of the group's sound, a fact plainly evident in
tracks such as the seven-minute moody masterpiece "Violate" and the album's
first single/video "Ten Ton Hammer." In contrast, the hardcore-tinged
"Struck A Nerve" easily stands as one of the band's most savagely intense
moments, its relentless pace and anger-laden vocals proving in no uncertain terms that
Machine Head have lost none of the angst and drive that were so instrumental in making
their debut a commercial success.
"Some of the stuff on this album is weirder than anything we've ever done
before," said Flynn, "but it's still along the same lines as far as the eerie,
dark feeling that it brings with it. As with Burn My Eyes, it's a mixture of everything we
collectively listen to, which ranges from hardcore to straight rock to metal to hip-hop,
and this is ultimately what sets us apart from everyone else and gives our music a more
personal stamp."
Produced, once again, by famed English knob-twiddler Colin Richardson, The More Things
Change... was recorded at California's The Plant and Hyde Street Studios and mixed at Los
Angeles' Larrabee facility, a process that saw the band fine-tuning every aspect of the
sound while accurately capturing the abrasive, over-the-top brutality of their live shows.
In the end, Machine Head have managed to create an album that is even more vicious than
its predecessor without sacrificing any of Burn My Eyes' definition and clarity.
"Because we have all improved as musicians since the last record, we were able to do
more stuff on the new album than we could in the past," Flynn explained. "My
singing voice is better than it's ever been before, and my hard voice is harder than it's
ever been, which in turn has given us the confidence to try more different stuff on this
record."
Although most of the basic musical ideas on The More Things Change... were initially
conceived by Flynn and second guitarist Logan Mader, the end result was attained through a
band collaboration, with bassist Adam Duce and drummer Dave McClain offering invaluable
assistance in structuring the material in a way that maximizes the songs' dynamics. Aided
by a crystal-clear production, the new album showcases McClain's dazzling high-energy
drumming style, which combines with Duce's aggressive bass playing style to create the
backbone of Machine Head's powerful approach.
Having toured for over fifteen months in support of Burn My Eyes (including a European and
an American trek with Slayer and an appearance at 1995's Castle Donington Festival
alongside Metallica and White Zombie), Machine Head are anxious to perform their brand new
material in a live environment, especially as the group played only three shows during
1996. According to Flynn, the extensive touring was instrumental in helping the band see
the different reactions of the crowd to certain types of songs in their set and influenced
the songwriting process for The More Things Change...
"We were surprised to see that one or two songs off the last album that seemed to be
people's favorites on the record didn't seem to work as well live," stated Robb.
"We definitely took that into account when putting together the songs for the new
record, since we're gonna play most of the new material live for the next two years, and
we wanted to make sure that all the songs would translate well in a live situation. At the
same time, we realize that a song like ‘Violate' probably won't be a big rager live,
but it's a killer song, and it's definitely one of the most different tracks we've ever
done, which is why it's on the album."
In the two and a half years since the release of Burn My Eyes, Machine Head have performed
to thousands of people all over the world and sold over 400,000 copies of their ground
breaking debut. As a result of this unique experience, the bond between the band members
has gotten stronger and the chemistry within the group has never been better, a factor
that is immediately apparent when listening to The More Things Change...
"We work like a unit now a lot more than we did before we recorded Burn My Eyes and
during the touring for that album," Duce stated. "Everything is just a lot more
together now and more focused—everybody pulling in the same direction."
"It feels more like a band than ever before," Flynn concurred. "Part of
that can definitely be attributed to the fact that Logan and Adam have known each other
for something like 18 years now, while I've known Logan and Adam for eight. The more time
we spend around each other, the more comfortable it feels, and the more confident we get
as a band, and I think it shows in our writing."