Machine Head's 'The Blackening' named 'album of the decade'
Machine Head's Grammy-nominated Lp "The Blackening" - which has garnered numerous awards and enjoyed praise from both critics and fans alike since its release in 2007 - received yet another incredible honor in the most recent issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, having been recognized by fans and magazine staff as the "Album of the Decade"! Metal Hammer boldly goes on to state that "The Blackening" is Machine Head's "finest album to date by one of the bands that most powerfully and vividly encapsulate everything that this magazine stands for and everything that our readers believe in. 'The Blackening' not only re-established Machine Head as one of the most important metal bands on the planet, but also made a mockery of the increasingly popular notion that the age of the album is dead. This was an album that demanded to be listened to in one skull-crushing, heart-warming, life-affirming hit, and then again and again and again, until every last muscle in our necks was ruined forever. 'The Blackening' took the Machine Head sound into thrilling new territory that decimated the competition and ensured that their place in history was secured."Commented Machine Head guitarsit/vocalist Robb Flynn: "This is just un-fucking-believable. It's mind-blowing for us, because there have been some amazing albums over the last ten years. To think that ours is number one to people is kind of hard to get your head around.
"We're lucky that we've got half a brain in our heads so that we can get in touch with our music and not let it be guided by whether it'll be played on Mtv or the radio. That attitude is what makes great music.
"We're not trying to appeal to everybody. To us, trying to appeal to the lowest common denominator means compromising and we're not making music to compromise.
"Our most uncompromising record has been the one that's connected to the most people, so we're gonna keep on with that mindset. The music that you hear on 'The Blackening', that's who we are.
"We're just proud of 'The Blackening'. It's amazing!
"This is what you dream of, to have this much success on your sixth album. It's amazing to us and we're very fortunate.
"We're very lucky to have the fan base that we do that supports us as passionately and vehemently as they do.
"Thank you, guys, so fucking much!"
"The Blackening", which was re-released as a "special edition" in October 2008 via Roadrunner Records, recently reached yet another milestone, having certified silver by the Bpi (British Phonographic Industry) for U.K. sales in excess of 60,000 copies.
"The Blackening Special Edition" is two-disc CD/DVD set that features an assortment of extras, including rare bonus tracks such as covers of Iron Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name", over an hour of live performance footage from With Full Force, Download and Rock in Rio festivals, three uncensored music videos for "Aesthetics of Hate", "Now I Lay Thee Down" and "Halo", a "making-of" featurette on each video, "The Making of The Blackening" and expanded artwork. There's also what many hardcore fans have been rabidly waiting for: four never-before-seen performances of Machine Head celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album, "Burn My Eyes", captured in Philadelphia in 2004.
