Few artists manage to evolve noticeably while maintaining successful and relevant careers. And while experimenting and broadening one’s horizons is crucial, it is equally important to understand your boundaries and limitations — and to be able to set a clear direction for the project.

Machine Head have managed to evolve and adapt to the changing musical climate multiple times throughout their career. They demonstrated this already on their sophomore album The More Things Change…, which musically and sonically stepped out of the shadow of their universally praised debut Burn My Eyes, at a time when replicating the debut would have been the safer route.

Since then, the band has ventured into Nu Metal territory with solid results. But with the demise of that subgenre — and fans’ dissatisfaction with the shift — the band returned to their roots, producing along the way one weak album, one solid album, and one that remains a career highlight to this day.

After three rather classic Heavy Metal records in a row, the time has come for Machine Head to once again expand their sound and craft an album that takes risks — one that propels them forward in ways only daring moves can.

Enter Bloodstone & Diamonds, perhaps the band’s most ambitious album to date. Its mission: to merge the band’s brute force with atmospheric experimentation. And Machine Head have succeeded in this complex task.

The album opens furiously with “Now We Die”, an epic track enriched with orchestration throughout its seven-minute runtime. And what tasteful and purposeful orchestration it is — it adds immensely to the song’s intensity and emotional impact. This is followed by a more traditional Machine Head track — nothing extraordinary, but it works well as a follow-up to the sonic mastodon that is the opener.

Things heat up again with “Ghosts Will Haunt My Bones” and “Night of Long Knives”. Matching the intensity of the opener without relying heavily on orchestration, both tracks run over six minutes and showcase everything Machine Head does best — massive riffs, melodic hooks, blistering solos, bombastic breakdowns, and powerful songwriting.

“Sail into the Black” arrives just in time to let the listener catch their breath. This atmospheric, eight-minute-long monster draws inspiration from bands like Dead Can Dance in its first half, with chants, moody vocals, orchestration, acoustic guitars, piano, and electronics. It might sound like a lot, but it’s all tastefully arranged, building tension that explodes in the second half with distorted vocals, crushing riffs, and double-kick drums. There’s also room for melodic interludes, choirs, and a Randy Rhoads-inspired guitar lead before the track concludes — a long-awaited follow-up to 1997’s “Violate”.

The second half of Bloodstone & Diamonds struggles somewhat to match the album’s virtually flawless beginning. There are a few weak tracks, several solid ones, and another experimental gem in the form of the powerful “In Comes the Flood”.

Flynn’s urge to experiment and evolve is undeniable, and he might as well embrace it more often. Sometimes it works, other times he may dive in too deep. But on Bloodstone & Diamonds, stepping out of the comfort zone pays off. In fact, the strongest moments on this record are when the band lets go and explores new horizons.

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