Release
date: February 24th
2017. Label: Season Of Mist. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Machinations
– Tracklisting
1.Fortune Favours
The Insane
2.Disintegrate
3.Nine Fates
4.Speak In Tongues
5.Transmutation
6.Son of Pythagoras
7.Premonitions
8.Comnixant 30
9.The Purge
Band
Members
Jimbob Isaac - Vocals/Guitar
Simon Bonwick - Drums
Joe Harvatt - Guitar
Tom Shortt - Bass
Review
Having
made big waves and gained impressive plaudits for their debut album
Crystalline, there could have been pressure for Hark to follow that
up, such was the impression that the album made. If there was
however, it is not evident in the music of the follow up album
Machinations.
This
is the sound of a band, packed full of confidence, making exactly the
album they want to. There have been a few tumultuous moments for the
band though and these are addressed throughout Machinations and they
are done in a way that makes the bands sound even more powerful. Take
a song like Disintegrate which is a full throttle and riff heavy
beast of a track, a song that bursts forth with anger but also
passion and hope, this is the sound of Hark today and it sounds very
good indeed.
This
even riff heavier emancipation is a step forward for the continuation
of the Hark sound and is a full on statement of intent from the band.
Songs like the sprawling Son Of Pythagorus, the antagonistic Speak In
Tongues, the sheer heaviness of Nine Fates and ballistic opening
track Fortune Favours The Insane are crushing riff packed anthems
packed full of ideas that are realised sonically and evidence of how
good a band Hark are.
The
tracks seem even more weighty this time around and are an undeniably
powerful collection of songs that deserve listening to, digesting and
then listened to once again and it is also a collection of songs that
will find extra depth and power in the live arena.
As
the album ends with the almost nine minute epic The Purge, which is
the perfect end to this album and this song seems to encapsulate the
whole feeling of the album into its length, it is clear that this has
been the sound of a band reborn. It is bleak and doom laden at times
for sure and this works undeniably well but the spirit and soul of
Hark and Machinations feels uplifting and unbreakable. A heavy listen
in more ways than one from commencement to conclusion.
Words
by Gavin Brown
Machinations
will be available to buy via Season Of Mist on CD/DD/Vinyl
from February 24th
2017. You can also buy vinyls from HARK's BandCamp Page.
