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Secret Machines

Secret Machines - Secret Machines Audio CD

A fair review of the Secret Machines "Secret Machines" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Secret Machines reviews here, or go back to the Secret Machines tabs.

Band: Secret Machines
Title: Secret Machines
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-10-14
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Atomic Heels 2: Last Believer, Drop Dead 3: Have I Run Out 4: Underneath the Concrete 5: Now You're Gone 6: Walls Are Starting to Crack 7: I Never Thought to Ask 8: Fire Is Waiting

Check it out!
It has melodies and beats that stay with you throughout the day. For the low price, this album is really well done. Great Trip.
This is my first Secret Machines album and its sick people always like it when I play it.

Maybe if they weren't so secretive, they'd be a hit machine
Well the music here on their third disk, 'The Secret Machines,' does buzz a plenty and it seems it's always been about the music for this power trio. One wonders why Dallas' own and NYC's Texas Ex-pats, the Secret Machines, aren't creating more buzz. Guitarist and bro, Ben Curtis is out of the line-up. In is Phil Karnats, he formerly of Dallas' psychedelica jam band 'The Tripping Daisy's', and in Phil is an able prog rocker neuvo. The line-up change works as you still have brother Brandon Curtis delivering his dark lyrics with a other-wordly spaced out Bowie-ala-Spiders From Mars vocals and critically acclaimed Josh Garza, the reincarnation of John Bonham, pounding so ably driving home like a hammer shot the beat and the Zildjian cymbal clash.

Each Secret Machines album features a nod to alternative radio friendly pop prog rock. This album's gem is "Atomic Heels," the disk's opener. "Uncover your eyes
they're bloodied in love whose staring back at yours, honey what have you missed?
You say let them go on fighting i guess as long as there's someplace left to visit. You keep telling me everything's gotta be real. Why don't you lift em up and see, what's beneath your atomic heels?," so opines Curtis on the bouncy pop drone as they reveal they ain't missing a beat in the lineup change.

And then on to "Last Believer, Drop Dead," in which the repetitive drum pound is back. That driving relentless axe chop of their first album, Now Here Is Nowhere, and its openers, "First Wave Intact," and "Sad and Lonely. " Though with this album you are drinking down a familiar brew, why mess with this space rock, psychedelica, Black Sabbath, Rush, Pink Floyd thing they have going? No need for these boys to show they are branching out when their signature sound, sounds so innovative and edgy in the first place.

Other highlights on the album are another return to space pop prog in track 4, "Underneath the Concrete," in which Brandon reveals a character that may be slipping apart at the seams, "Underneath the concrete looking for some space to move
I could be running to the sidewalks end for the rest of my days. Looking for the faintest light, slipping away, Away, away. "

And then there is the very interesting introspective "P. Floyd Wall-esque," track 6, "The Walls are Starting to Crack. " And it may be in this song where the Machines make their mark here. The psychedelica ballad will summon ghosts of pink shaving off his eyebrows and exploring his inner crazy guy from Pink Floyd's "The Wall" of course. "I've been rushing the air sleep
To see how the time slips past. The living keep falling away so I stay in this watch tower to wait for a safer hour enclosed in mortar and stone. The walls are starting to crack, how could they hold back? These waves have always broken through. I have been lied to, these walls are all that I know. " And about halfway through the song, it just stops and enter the Floyd playbook with erie space jam drumming, electronica white noise, and finally the big payoff where we have a drum lead-in by the brillant Garza to the choral legions of high voiced apocalyptic choir screaming their pitch perfect head off. It is a musical moment you don't won't to miss boys and girls. --mmw

.

shocked...!!!
as much as I enjoyed the first two Secret Machines discs I paused before I purchased this disc. . I thought to myself. . . it can't be as good as. . . it just won't be great. . . (I was wrong) what an amazing experience listening to this music is - that's right - it's an experience. I don't care about the brothers or the break-up or the press or the sales or any of that. This recording stands alone as a master work and should be regarded as such. I can't believe the depth of emotion and color and space that moves through this performance of a disc. It's so good and so powerful that it's quietest calmest moments are as stunning and moving as the big beats and the thundering grooves. . . (Again) This is Master Work - and I don't feel that or experience that often enough in pop music. . . It's like NOTHING else going on right now.

Benjamin bests Brandon
I don't know what vision Benjamin Curtis had in mind, but School of Seven Bells is a light-weight, forgettable product. The split between the Curtis brothers has worked out better for Secret Machines. I much prefer Brandon Curtis' harder, darker sound. "Now Here is Nowhere" was an absolute killer of an album, which made the follow-up, "Ten Silver Drops," a real disappointment. I'm happy that this new CD is a stronger return to form for a great band.

A dirty little word called...

PROG !!!

Now, ease back gently & let me elaborate somewhat. I'll start this review with a dirty little four letter word. . .

The aforementioned word is not really dirty-except amongst snobby music critics & unadventurous listeners who can't handle tunes that run longer than 5 minutes-or feature unconventional arrangements or time signatures. Why this is relevant is due to something that is totally inescapable: This minor masterpiece just reeks of Prog! Everything about this album features typical prog type influences that are so damn obvious to my own unique musical radar.

So, here's my track by track analysis.

1) "Atomic Heals" This slow burning opener starts out with beefy drums, squawly guitars reverberating metronomically whilst Brandon Curtis wails away about losing his heels.
2) "Last believer, drop dead" A more simplistic repetitive drum pattern anchors this mid tempo tune, with a great combo of guitar effects/chords soaring off into some imagined space.
3) "Have I run out" Starting with supple cymbal splashes, this is another slow burner which kicks into gear at the 1. 35 mark, the rhythm picking up a few notches, aided by 2 contrasting guitar lines. Would probably be a monster live in concert. Again, Josh Garza's drumming is first rate. And filled out with powerhouse bombastic synth work (Prog!). First track past the 7 min mark (7. 40 to be exact. . . )
4) "Underneath the concrete" A more urgent up-tempo muscular tune, driven by those pounding, repetitive drums. (If you don't have a great rhythm section in a band, your not really gonna be able to scale the heights of rock 'n roll!). Not my most favorite track, but it will grow on me eventually.
5) "Now your gone" This ballad starts out with the usual machines slow burning intro, then hey, surprise! kicks up a gear or 2 at-you guessed it-the ubiquitous 1. 30 mark. But it absolutely comes alive at this point, with a searing lead guitar line, and Brandon's passionate vocal propelling this stunner into the stratosphere.
6) "The Walls are starting to crack" Again, another slow starting ballad which-guess what? yep, your on the money! that bloody 1. 30 mark, again. . . However the true prog influences really kick in at the 4 min point with a scorching synth blast, dynamic lead/melody guitars, some guest backing vocalists wailing away for a short while, before fading out ever so quietly.
7) "I never thought to ask" Easily, this is, A) my favourite track & B) THE most "Proggy" of all these tracks. Beautiful chiming acoustic guitar, spooky/spacey keyboards, soaring reverb drenched vocal, all add up to create one of their most gorgeous atmospheric track's recorded thus far. Reminds me very much of something that an Italian/European group would have recorded in the late 60's/early 70's!
8) "The fire is Waiting" A pulsating, grinding and totally overblown symphonic masterpiece that is just dazzling! Very much a companion piece to the previous track. In fact, this proves just how crucial track sequencing is in trying to make a recording flow and sound as though there's a sort of logical order. Perfect ending to a great record. (And it's the longest track as well, clocking in at very respectable 11 minutes plus!).

This is the 3rd album from this Brooklyn based Group, and the first minus one of the Curtis brothers (Benjamin-who left in March 2007). Any fears that this might have had a destabilizing effect, were thankfully, unfounded. Perhaps freed from constraints & expectations, the revamped line-up (newbie guitarist Phil Karnats) produce easily their most progressive-and dare I say it-best album yet.

Already looking forward to the next one. . . .

You can see a complete list of all Secret Machines discography, or go back to the Secret Machines tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.