Hex Machine “Omen Mas” CD

Probably the single most interesting band from here in Richmond, Hex Machine has finally released their debut full-length CD, "Omen Mas", via the equally obscure Minimum Underdrive imprint. Picking up where last year's "Run to Earth" 12" left off and running wild with the band's patented take on what seems (rightfully) oft-tagged math metal puréed with that classic AmRep vibe, there's simply no denying the intriguing might of this outfit. On the songwriting front, you'll find everything from taut, crisply performed math metal crunch ("Lunatic Sun") to surprisingly catchy, bass-driven, grunge-encrusted breaks ("Blueprint to Madness", "Vivisection") to forcefully sludgy rhythms and bizarrely noisy textures—all the while with vocals that saunter back and forth from uniquely strained screams with hints of singing to unhinged howls 'n' wails aplenty. Not to mention the back to back run of the 8+ minutes of gnarly, mangled feedback and completely warped chords of "Godheads Full of Candy" beside the less-than-two-minute tear of sliding chords and caustic leads in "Pink Whisky" (which somehow actually reminds me a hell of a lot of early Nirvana, dare I say). The recording this time out is even thicker than before, with massively dense pulses of bass roaming in and out between the natural warmth of the percussion and varying degrees of intensity on the guitar front, while the vocals squirm around and burst forth from the heart of the mix so as not to interfere with any of the group's instrumental twists and turns (unless needed, that is). What more can I say? Huge fan!

Hex Machine "Blueprint to Madness"

If for some, well, fucking stupid reason you're still not convinced, you can steam the entire album at Last.fm, so... check that out and see if your brain finally starts to grasp reality, eh?

Get It

Hex Machine
Minimum Underdrive