Machine Head UNATØNED
Machine Head's UNATØNED arrives with flickers of the band's old thrash fire but settles into a divided critical picture, earning a 53/100 consensus across 2 professional reviews. Critics consistently point to concise, high-energy moments such as “ATØMIC REVELATIØNS” and “ØUTSIDER” as standout tracks that capture the record's groove-meets-thrash ambitions, while other songs expose limp riffs and lyrical missteps that dilute the album's impact.
Across professional reviews, the critical consensus highlights a tension between return-to-form gestures and a perceived decline in songwriting. Kerrang! praises the compact adrenaline of “ATØMIC REVELATIØNS” and the melodic punch of “ØUTSIDER”, calling those tracks fleet-footed successes that justify the band's thrash leanings. Sputnikmusic offers a bleaker read, salvaging “UNBØUND”, “THESE SCARS WON'T DEFINE US” and “BØNESCRAPER” as intermittent bright spots but admonishing the record for recycled ideas, placeholder choruses and moments of lyrical cringe.
That split produces a mixed but specific verdict: critics agree UNATØNED contains several essential short-form tracks that revive Machine Head's pit-ready energy, yet they also note a dilution of the elements that once made the band vital. For readers asking "is UNATØNED good" or seeking the best songs on UNATØNED, the review consensus suggests selective listening - the album is worth sampling for “ATØMIC REVELATIØNS”, “ØUTSIDER” and the handful of groovy highlights, even if the full collection fails to cohere for all critics.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
ATØMIC REVELATIØNS
2 mentions
"the explosive ATØMIC REVELATIØNS abbreviates the epic latter-day MH formula"— Kerrang!
UNBØUND
1 mention
"“Unbound” are clunky but fun enough to qualify as highlights"— Sputnikmusic
BØNESCRAPER
1 mention
"“Bonescraper” are clunky but fun enough to qualify as highlights"— Sputnikmusic
the explosive ATØMIC REVELATIØNS abbreviates the epic latter-day MH formula
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
LANDSCAPE ØF THØRNS
ATØMIC REVELATIØNS
UNBØUND
ØUTSIDER
NØT LØNG FØR THIS WØRLD
THESE SCARS WØN'T DEFINE US
DUSTMAKER
BØNESCRAPER
ADDICTED TØ PAIN
BLEEDING ME DRY
SHARDS ØF SHATTERED DREAMS
SCØRN
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 2 critics who reviewed this album
Critic's Take
In a tone that scarcely disguises exasperation, Machine Head’s UNATØNED yields only a few redeeming moments, notably “Unbound”, “These Scars Won't Define Us” and “Bonescraper”, where the band briefly recalls the groovy simplicity of their early work. The reviewer repeatedly calls out limp riffs, recycled ideas and choruses that feel like placeholders, which makes picking the best tracks on UNATØNED an exercise in salvage rather than celebration. Still, the reviewer names “Bleeding Me Dry” as having a vaguely impactful chorus and breakdown, and therefore one of the more memorable moments on the record. Overall the sentiment is clear — these are highlights by contrast, not by ambition, and they only intermittently rescue an otherwise diluted album.
Key Points
-
The best songs are simple, groovy thrash numbers that recall the band’s early strengths, chiefly “Unbound”.
-
The album’s core strengths are production punch and occasional nostalgic hooks, undermined by weak songwriting and cringe lyrics.
Themes
Critic's Take
Machine Head's UNATØNED finds Robb Flynn back on defiantly unfettered form, and the best songs here prove the point. Chief among them is “ATØMIC REVELATIØNS”, a thrilling 221-second blast that compresses grandstanding choruses, groovy hooks and surging thrash into a concise triumph. Equally compelling is “ØUTSIDER”, which pairs pit-stirring rhythms with enormous melodies and fast-spat verses to great effect. These tighter, fleet-footed tracks make the case for the album's strengths more than its aesthetics do.
Key Points
-
The best song, "ATØMIC REVELATIØNS", is best for compacting grand choruses, groovy hooks and thrash into a thrilling shortform.
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The album's core strengths are concise, fleet-footed songwriting and a return to punchy, melodic thrash energy.