Machine Head

Recorded live at Brixton Academy in London, England, Hellalive includes tracks like "Bulldozer” (from Supercharger), "The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears” (from The Burning Red) and "Davidian” (from Burn My Eyes). Listening to the disc is like being there without the very drunk dude screaming in your ear and falling into your lap throughout the entire show. The thing I like best about live records is the between-song banter. On Hellalive the "Thank you London,” and "Is London, England ready to rock tonight with Machine Head?” is something I would never hear at a show in Canada, thus making the recording special — a cheap way to feel like you are seeing your favourite band in a place you couldn’t normally go for a concert. Machine Head’s performance is stellar but the crowd sounds are a little muted, thus removing the audience energy that makes up 75 percent of any good live show. All in all, this a great disc for Machine Head fans but I also think that if there are any grazers of the band out there reading this review, they should listen to me when I say that they need to pick up Hellalive. It is the quintessential mission statement for the band. This disc is what Machine Head is all about — one killer live show.