Having watched them live, I can say this Lancashire five piece are a force of nature. However, given that I’ve not heard anything from these guys since 2007, I was a bit dubious to undertake this difficult assignment as my first for this site. I’m very glad that I did because this 4 track CD is a fine effort.
As I sit here listening to 4 very solid tracks, Machiavellian first remind me of a cross between Napalm Death and Decapitated, but even that doesn’t do them justice, so I reckon I should throw in the faster elements of All Shall Perish and maybe Mastodon but the drumming isn’t quite as progressive. Vocals are a good mix of styles; this works well although the lyrics are a bit unintelligible at points. Saying that, it only makes you want to listen to them more to decipher what Kris and Ant are trying to put forward, and that can only be a good thing in my mind. The bass and guitars are very good and kudos goes to the producer for punching the bass out as this is one of my main complaints about mixing metal. If you miss the bass you miss the effect of having your ears being sonically abused and that is needed with a band like this.
Overall the tracks proceed at a very hectic pace with some very slow doom breakdowns and fills which help create an ominous atmosphere, but in reality they need a track or two to stand out above the others and although all four are good ones I couldn’t say which one is my favourite. In conclusion, Machiavellian are worth checking out and you won’t be disappointed as they hold up well to more established bands of the genre. I’m looking forward to hearing more from them as they develop.
http://www.myspace.com/mcvln
