“These Dead Machines”’ seamless integration of glitchy electronica and weighty rock creates a soundscape that is at once jarring and inviting—balancing the bleak and the hopeful, the expansive and the intimate. The album is a statement of arrival.
Emerging from the ashes of a previous project and forged in the crucible of lockdown, Manchester’s These Dead Machines arrive with a debut album that feels both timely and timeless. “Any Minute Now” is a potent cocktail of grunge-infused alt-rock, glitchy electronica, and cinematic soundscapes, showcasing band’s dedication to honing their sound over the past two years. With influences ranging from the heavy, distorted guitars of Deftones to the experimental flair of Muse, These Dead Machines carve out their own niche with “Any Minute Now.”
The album’s strength lies in its delicate balance between contrasting elements. Fatalism and optimism intertwine, creating a dynamic tension that keeps the listener engaged. Tracks like “Heartstrings,” “Signals,” and “Long Shadows” dig into darker lyrical territory, yet they are counterbalanced by the anthemic energy of “So Skywards,” “Lucky,” and the previously released “Recovery.” This push and pull between light and dark allows “Any Minute Now” to connect on a deeper level, revealing new layers with each listen.
Lead single “Phantoms” perfectly encapsulates this duality. A sprawling yet claustrophobic piece of alt-rock, its off-kilter rhythm mirrors the internal conflict the lyrics explore, grappling with grief and the spectral presence of lost connections “Fears of yesterday/You pulled me under, showed me what I’d lost again/I’m in yesterday, one foot stuck tight, one foot forwards.” This track encapsulates the album’s tension between past and present, light and shadow. The relentless drive of its chorus contrasts beautifully with quieter, introspective moments.
A brooding, almost hypnotic opener, “Subatomic Hearts” showcases the band’s grip of blending lyrical depth with sonic experimentation. The track’s pulsating rhythm underpins lyrics that weave between existential longing and a yearning for connection:
“And we reach for the satellites / And we hope, in silence.”
These lines feel both cosmic and intimate. The refrain “My heart keeps beating/My heart keeps beating/My heart keeps beating… alone” becomes a mantra for persistence in isolation, its repetition hammering home a universal ache. The repeated, “My subatomic heart,” adds a layer of poetic depth, suggesting a core of resilience within the individual.
Perhaps the album’s emotional centerpiece, “Recovery” is an anthem for the weary. With its glitchy electronic undercurrent and soaring chorus, offers a different facet of the band’s sound. Opening with plaintive, almost confessional lyrics, the track gradually builds into a crescendo of hope and resilience:
“On and on, I need repair / Recovery / Recover me.”
The interplay between vulnerability and determination is a hallmark of “These Dead Machines,” and “Recovery” delivers this in spades. The song’s cyclical structure mirrors the struggles of healing, a reminder that recovery is a process, not a destination.
While “Any Minute Now” may initially seem impenetrable, repeated listens reveal its true beauty and complexity. These Dead Machines have crafted a debut album that is both off-kilter and accessible, jarring and encompassing. It’s a record that explores contemporary, universal, and deeply important themes with in the alt-rock landscape.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Subatomic Heart 04:55
2. Phantoms 03:27
3. Hello World 03:15
4. So Skywards 04:41
5. Heartstrings 03:37
6. Illuminate 03:04
7. Signals 03:03
8. Recovery 04:00
9. Lucky 04:17
10. Long Shadows 02:46
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