I normally wouldn't bother mentioning a distribution deal (especially with an established band), but this is a rather special case. Background: Machine Head released four albums through Roadrunner Records and then lost their deal in the US after the less-than-stellar Supercharger.
Strangely enough, Roadrunner UK stuck with them and released their newest CD, Through the Ashes of Empires in Europe last year. Empire has received mostly very positive reviews, and if the first single off the CD--"Imperium"--is any indication at all, the positive reviews were well-deserved (if you haven't heard it, MH have the video up on their web site)
Meanwhile, US fans had to sit and wait for them to find a record deal here. Well, that wait is over:
MACHINE HEAD has recently signed a deal with Roadrunner Records to release their fifth studio album, Through The Ashes Of Empires in the United States.Released internationally via Roadrunner in October 2003, Through The Ashes Of Empires has received widespread critical acclaim from the likes of Metal Hammer, Kerrang, and Rocksound among others. International metal/hard rock publications throughout Europe have hailed the album, as a "return to form", and declared it MACHINE HEAD's finest offering since their classic 1994 debut, Burn My Eyes.
[...]
Through The Ashes of Empires is tentatively scheduled for release in North America on April 20th with a North American tour to follow.
I wasn't far from from giving up on these guys and buying the import, because they've been looking for a label for a while. Regardless, kudos to Roadrunner USA for realizing their mistake, and congratulations to Machine Head for persevering after many had written them off completely. I look forward to buying and reviewing this CD, especially if there are "special features" in the US version, as was promised in months past.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
Steve, thanks and welcome!
2 - michele
Well, there go any hopes MH had of getting into the mainstream. Roadrunner did nothing for them in the past and will do nothing for them now. That is one of the one worst run record companies (the U.S. side of RR at least) in this country.
Don't get me started on RR.
3 - Craig Lyndall
I don't give Roadrunner a lot of credit, but they did some things for Slipknot. Too bad they haven't had similar success with other bands.
4 - Steve Gigl
Well, I don't know if anyone could get them into the mainstream here in the US, but I'm just happy someone is going to release the CD. Let's hope RR doesn't dump and run on this one.
5 - Chris Puzak
Roadrunner did have something of a success story with Sepultura, and some of the death metal bands they used to have on their label racked up some relatively decent sales. However, I think I've bought maybe two album from Roadrunner in the past eight years, and I traded both of them to the used CD story. Ever since they jumped on the nu-metal bandwagon, I completely lost interest in the label.
The new Machine Head album is indeed the best thing since Burn my Eyes, but it's still not as good as I'd been led to believe. Then again, I've never been a huge Machine Head fan, so you may enjoy the album more than I did.