Another Sun. The Machine

Ok, fasten your seat belts. We are about to take off and do not open the belt until we have safely arrived. I imagine a steward speaking these words during the intro of 'Drop/See', the opening song on The Machine's eighth album Another Sun. After this intro the band tucks in with a loud riff, huge drums, a solid bass and an underwater effect on an overdubbed guitar part (a flanger?). The Machine takes off in a huge fashion.

No matter how loud 'Drop/See' is, the band does not forget a song is important as well. Besides, the band starts exploring the innards and outers of the composition in a long instrumental interlude. Guitarist David Eering plays all the styles he has mastered and took a dive into his pedal collection to find ever more sounds. The interlude explodes and comes back to the main riff, in a grand Motorpsycho way. Yes, The Machine feels comfortable in the identical stoner, psychedelic (hard)rock place where the Norwegians like to dwell as well.

The Machine is from Dordrecht the most southern and oldest (1220) of the cities in Holland, which is the western part of The Netherlands. The band is around for twenty years, but Drop/See earlier this year was my introduction and one that called for more. The band consists in 2026 of David Eering (guitars, vocals, sitar, synthesizers, theremin, percussion), Chris Both (bass guitar) and Klaas Dijkstra (drums, percussion). Together they are able to create a huge wall of sound that Phil Spector would have been proud of.

That more is now here in the form of the four additional songs that together make Another Sun. In 'Evolver' the band really lets it rip. Who could have thought on listening for the first time to 'Evolver' what lies in wait? The song starts relaxed and slow. It slowly builds up tension and after a long intro the band kicks in, but in a way that this could still be a part of a suite, so a part of 'Drop/See'. What happens next, is beyond imagination. The tempo goes up, the intensity is off the grid. 'Evolver' becomes an orgy of music, while the band remains in full control of the song. Live this most likely is even more impressive.

Photo: David Eering

What I'd noticed, having made myself familiar with Another Sun, is what goes for what I wrote in my single review goes for the whole album. Singer David Eering is more a part of the whole and not the frontman singing over the band. It is as if singing is purely functional and not defining for a track. Listening to 'Evolver' it is totally clear why. The vocals are only a part of a song and the members of this band are so good on their instruments. They steal the show anyway. Personally, I'm glad there is singing because in general it adds to a song. For The Machine singing works as far as I'm concerned.

The music on Another Sun is far louder than the symphonic rock bands of old like Yes and Marillion. Still, there are similarities in the way the band approaches compositions. They are changed along the way, to return to a central theme and longer instrumental parts are fitted in.

There is also a link to grunge, listen to how Eering sings in 'Swallow The Sun' and to the early Smashing Pumpkins (grunge or not?) form of deep sounding guitars. The final name that needs to be dropped is Queens of the Stone Age. The Machine has listened to the desert rock/stoner band for certain, as there are also references to the way Josh Homme sings. That is where things stop, as The Machine is more adventurous in exploring its songs. The band combines over fifty years of rock music within its music and comes out with a storming and raging album called Another Sun.

In the final song, 'Echo Through' it seems we will make a long smooth landing before we can unfasten our seat belts. That is counting without The Machine that does its trick once again, full force, before it sets us on the ground in one smooth, soft go. Another Sun is an impressive album. The doors are are openend.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can listen to and order Another Sun here for Europe:

https://the-machine.bandcamp.com/album/another-sun-european-version

and here for U.K. and U.S.:

https://the-machine.bandcamp.com/album/another-sun-uk-north-american-version