3. Machine Head – Through The Ashes Of Empires (2003)
To say that the beginning of the 2000’s was a low point for Machine Head is an understatement. After releasing two albums that attempted to push them into the mainstream (one of which made it onto another one of our lists), the band found themselves alienating fans and critics. And to add sand to the wound, the lackluster reception of Supercharger led way to them getting dropped by Roadrunner Records. With no support from a label (and even most fans for that matter), Machine Head decided to “go down on their own terms” (as bassist Adam Duce explained to us) and record Through The Ashes Of Empires, an album they wanted to make. The move turned out to be the right one, since Roadrunner quickly resigned the band and the album gave Machine Head a new found respect in the metal community. And one could argue that without Through The Ashes Of Empires’ success, Machine Head wouldn’t have been able to make their truly defining album The Blackening.
Favorite Track: “Bite The Bullet”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Enh4SSmXQ4[/youtube]
