Machinae Supremacy is:
Robert Stjarnstrom - Vocals
Jonas Rorling - Guitar
Tomi Luoma - Guitar
Andreas Gerdin - Bass
Nicky Karvonen - Drums
Another two years, another Machinae Supremacy album. Since the year 2000, Machinae Supremacy has been the king of their own created âSID-Metalâ subgenre. Others have experimented with similar styles, but no one pulls it off quite like they do. Blending heavy and sometimes melodic metal (sometimes with pop/punk influences) with C64/NES game sound bites have been what this band does best. Couple that with plenty of music to check out completely for free and you have material that is quite a bit to listen to and will take you through the journey and evolution up to this point. With the assumption that most seeing this are already familiar with Machinae Supremacy (or MaSu for short) we shall cut straight into this review of sorts for their seventh studio album, Into the Night World. If seeing this album and doing research lands you here, then now is as good a time as ever to start listening to the band.
Into the Night World follows a similar pattern as Overworld before it in the sense that the band is not afraid to try entirely new things from time to time. This happens right from the beginning with the epic opener and first âsingleâ of the album, âMy Dragons Will Decimateâ. The title says it all and it speaks of a war waged by dragons. If the songâs standout words during end of the chorus is to suggest what happens, it sounds like things are well...being decimated. Robertâs delivery during the pre-chorus/chorus is spot on and higher pitched vocals help emphasize said destruction. âBURNING, FALLING!â chants the bandâs frontman over an equally energetic, yet darker track. It is also worth noting the backing vocals are great as well in the transition from âSummon the dragon warâŚâ into âTWILIGHTâ which can also be heard in the chorus. It sets the mood just right and shows the band willing to dive into darker territory with songs. This certainly isnât the first time they have done so, but it may just be the best example of such a track to date. The SID intro is on point as well and gives the vibe right from the start like something is coming and it isnât friendly.
The albumâs title track (âInto the Night Worldâ - later becoming single #2 leading up to release) is equally epic in tone and boasts a SID/synth Intro that I swear could be ripped straight out of the next classic Mega Man game. Add guitar work chiming in during this to lead up to what remains a hard driving and fast paced track throughout. This chorus is definitely one that stands out on the album, once again due to the excellent delivery from Robert âIâm being pulled into the night world, enter a phantom universeâ will become instantly stuck upon hearing this, along with his traditional harmonizing style during tracks that tends to happen, leading into the fade out of the track. âTwe27ySevenâ fades in with yet another SID/synth intro but this time with both guitars and drums kicking in for a fuller sound in the intro before getting right into the full band feel. The synth remains the driving force behind this song until the chorus kicks in with very present SID effects and great singing yet again. Worth noting here is that upon your first listen, you could miss that some of the vocals are harmonizing along with female singer Ingeborg Ekeland who has done voices/sung on previous albums. The way it blends in this song makes it hard to pick up on but makes Robertâs vocals sound that much different due to how it was mixed, if that is indeed the right term to use. The song also contains a solo which is very welcome. This is a topic we will be coming back to.
âRemember Meâ shows MaSu going into full ballad territory and takes things down a notch as far as heaviness goes. Sort of. For the first half of the song or so there are only vocals and piano playing present. Not long into that, we have a duet going on with Ingeborg. The second half shows a heavier side as the rest of the band does chime in here, along with another amazing but slow solo to fit the mood of this beautiful track. âSpace Boatâ is definitely the fun track of the album. Kind of like a cheesy love song...in space? In a boat? This is a hard one to quite put your finger on but this is also why I rather like the track. Plus, the undeniable love theme has a very telling line about the overall mood of the track. âI would totally fight for you, but not for this fucking planetâ shows that the track doesnât completely take itself seriously. This again wouldnât be the first time MaSu does a track of this nature and it is equally fun as it is a chill track for the album. Nickyâs drumming stands out here as the guitars seem to have taken a step back for this song. Also worth noting is the what I refer to as the âbubbly SID feelâ you get just after the first chorus. This particular portion also demonstrates a great use of bass as well. This helps set the atmosphere for a journey away from the home planet. âStars Had to Die So that You Could Liveâ has in my opinion the most atmospheric vibe felt throughout the album, with some melodic singing which leads straight into a solo. I have a hard time placing this song as well but not for the same reason as the previous track. The track isnât bad by any means and showcases even more how very on point Jonas and Tomi (ex-Kill the Romance) are throughout this album but has a abrupt ending to it and just leaves me wondering what the context of the song actually is. This is a track on the album I feel would perhaps grow on you over time instead of upon first listen. This was definitely another example however of MaSu not being afraid to try new thing and yet still sounding pretty good at doing so.
âBeast Engineâ technically first existed via a solo effort from Robert via the album Chiptunes=Win Vol 4. I was wondering if this song would be just that with instrumentals thrown in. What we got, I enjoy very much, and if I had to say so right now, this is my current favorite track on the album. The song has a catchy guitar groove throughout played over the very track we heard on the aforementioned album and it is fantastic. I could talk about vocals again but Iâll spare you guys the repetition. Letâs just say vocals are top notch for this album overall. If I needed a single song to introduce the band to a new fan, I think this would be it. It literally has everything. It has one of the best solos on the album coupled with drumming that complements it very well. It has chiptune/SID. It has multiple vocal ranges that get higher and higher as the track goes on (dammit, I mentioned the vocals againâŚ). It has a steady guitar groove throughout with a stellar driving bass line. This song needed a paragraph to itself. It is that good.
Up to this point, seeing that this is MaSuâs shortest album to date, this is something you donât want to end. However, all good things come to one eventually, and it is over before you know it. âDream Sequenceâ is a peaceful song with more sweet and catchy guitar grooves. Vocal highs are very present throughout the track, especially towards the end. This is very much proof Robert has become comfortable with said range now. Vocals have come a long way since being a debatable reason that makes the band harder to get into for newer fans. âSID Metal Legacyâ is another track on the album that technically was already put out there with a corresponding â15 years of Machinae Supremacyâ video to go with. This is a instrumental track, although not a very long one. I believe some of MaSuâs best work is their instrumental tracks and this is a great but short example of just that. It is a solid track, even if slightly repetitive throughout. Keeping it short was a good call. This can however be forgiven as it leads to the final part of a series of tracks that has been going on since pre-MaSu days. More piano is to be found on this album with the closer.
âThe Last March of the Undeadâ opens up with piano/guitars leading into vocals in the foreground and 8-bit like sounds in the background. This progresses into the drums as well and then the full band for the chorus. This chorus is likely the most powerful on the album, which is rather fitting for the album closer. For the untrained ear, bass is most obvious just after the first chorus in which Andreas delivers a great bass line here, and throughout the entirety of the track. A bit less than two minutes left into the track, we get treated to what may be one of the sweetest things the album has to offer with some awesome guitar playing leading up to it just after the second chorus. What we get treated to is a MaSu breakdown, with some pinch harmonics thrown in for good measure, as Rob/Jonas (with great backing vocals here) sounding powerful in tone and harmonizing well together. Following this up with a standout drumming performance (if not the best on the album) along with the rocking standout guitar that has been a constant theme of the album, and the closing chorus. Iâll admit I wasnât expecting what came off as a upbeat track for the final âMarch of the Undeadâ within the first few seconds, but I was pleasantly surprised by both the nature of the song lyrics and overall band performance throughout. MaSu fires on all cylinders to end this album.
Machinae Supremacy has yet to disappoint me with a album release and that is one heck of a statement for a band that is now 16 years old and I have been listening to since high school. Where it ranks in the grand scheme of things I certainly donât know. However, though short, it is a sweet experience I wish to have again and again. Into the Night World is a rock solid album which mostly gets away with any experimentation tried throughout, while staying comfortable enough for older fans to continue to enjoy, and also offer a safe entry point for newer fans. This album is a shining example of a âall killer, no fillerâ album. This will certainly get added to the âintroduce your favorite band with one albumâ list.
