The Passing (CD - 2008)

Machinery doesn't sound like the name of a band that would be a contributor to the Scandinavian death metal/black metal scene; Machinery sounds more like the name of an industrial rock or industrial metal band. But The Passing is, in fact, relevant to death metal -- specifically, the melodic side of death metal, and this 2008 release is an impressive example of what can happen when the extreme and the musical come together for a metal band. Most death metal, of course, is not very melodic; the vast majority of death metal bands have governed by brute force alone. But there has been a movement of death metal bands that wanted something more musical, intricate and nuanced from death metal -- bands like Opeth, At the Gates, In Flames, Callenish Circle and Age of Ruin -- and this Swedish combo favors that type of approach on The Passing. This CD gets its inspiration from power metal, progressive metal and thrash metal as well as from death metal and, to a lesser degree, black metal. Melody is not a mere afterthought on The Passing; it is an integral part of what Machinery does, and the clean vocals are actually more plentiful than the extreme vocals (which include a death metal "Cookie Monster" growl as well as a black metal rasp). The Passing has its moments of crushing viciousness, although most of this 46-minute disc isn't all that harsh -- and the end result could be described as Queensrÿche meets Dream Theater meets death metal and black metal. With The Passing, Machinery makes an excellent contribution to the melodic death metal movement. ~ Alex Henderson minimize