We’ve known for a while that Machine Head has been working on a new album. In fact, we even had a chance to hear a song from it, when the demo version of “Killers & Kings” came out in demo form for Record Store Day earlier this year. Now we know what it’s called, and a hell of a lot more information about it courtesy of frontman Robb Flynn. In a Facebok post with the title of the new album, Bloodstone & Diamonds, Flynn talks about what fans can expect:
There you have it. The new album title in all its glory my friends.
I cannot even begin to tell you how proud we are of this album. It’s been a heck of a ride. It looked like it might not ever happen again at one point, but man, this album is a milestone for us.
You’re going to love it Head Cases.
Without getting too philosophical on ya, bloodstone and diamonds represent two of the hardest materials on earth, it is also a lyric from the opening track of the album “Now We Die”. In many cultures the bloodstone has been used as an amulet to protect against evil, and is the symbol of justice. Diamonds are the hardest natural material on earth (which is how we feel about our music), and it also represents the diamond logo I drew 22 years ago (in my wife’s apartment on Dover St. in Oakland) that has become the symbol for the band.
Below is the track listing:
BLOODSTONE & DIAMONDS
1. Now We Die
2. Killers & Kings
3. Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones
4. Night Of Long Knives
5. Sail Into The Black
6. Eyes Of The Dead
7. Beneath The Silt
8. In Comes The Flood
9. Damage Inside
10. Game Over
11. Imaginal Cells (instrumental)
12. Take Me Through The Fire10 songs, an interlude, and an instrumental with an audio collage of spoken word snippets (think “Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies”) by Dr. Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman, taken from their (incredibly inspiring) audiobook “Spontaneous Evolution”.
It was once again produced by your truly The General and Juan Urteaga, and like the last 7 out of 8 albums masterfully mixed by Colin Richardson. Additional tracking, editing, and mixing was done with heavy metal legend Andy Sneap and Steve Lagudi.
Guest musicians include 2 different string quartets featuring the original Quartet Rouge that appeared on our last album “Unto The Locust”. And a new all-male quartet which we featured on the song “In Comes The Flood”.
String arrangements for 2 of the songs “Now We Die” and “Sail Into The Black” came courtesy of myself and Rhys Fulber who has worked with everyone from Sarah McLachlan, to Fear Factory, and the string arrangement for “In Comes The Flood” came courtesy of myself and ex-Worship and current-Bring Me The Horizon keyboardist Jordan Fish, who is a producer in his own right.
We worked with several artists to complete the 28 page (!) “standard” CD booklet, as well as the 48 page (!) hardcover leather-bound Media-book that will serve as the special edition, including Rafal Wechterowicz, Marcelo Vasco, and long-time Machine Head art-collaborator Strephon Taylor. The theme was to have both CD and hardcover Mediabook look like an old Alchemy book from the 1800’s, with weathered edges, sepia toned pages, and magic / masonic / alchemy themed woodcarvings throughout.
It turned out fucking amazing!!
All album photos were done with our friend Travis Shinn who took some mind-bogglingly awesome photos, that again, were set to match the theme of the book with an old 1800’s / alchemy feel to them.
In addition, Flynn also included a picture from the hardcover media book that looks very medieval. Check out the album cover and media pic below.
