Although the name sounds more metal than Megadeth, Machine Mass is actually Belgian-British-American jazz fusion band formed by guitarist Michel Delville and drummer Tony Bianco. The rest of the members vary from album to album, so now we have got piano master Antoine Gueney.
After As Real As Thinking and Intit, the band returns with their third release. For some reason, they have decided to create an instrumental performance of antological collection by Jimi Hendrix. It is important to emphasize that Machine Mass are a modern jazz rock collective oriented towards avant-garde. They are also not stiff when it comes to experimenting with electronica. Guitar, drums and piano serve as base, and then come guitar synth, stylophone, samples, loops, synths and everything else synthetic palette has to offer.
The whole album is recorded at once, with minimal editing. It is the biggest advantage of the album - live performance by three incredible musicians during which they sound like they have been produced in the world's best music studio. The biggest flaw of the record is that there is no original material here, as it was the case with two predecessors. Performances of famous and less famous Hendrix tunes in modern jazz fusion arrangement are peculiar, but it works. At least for me. I don't know what Jimi's fans will think about these interpretations. The basics of Hendrix's classics are turned into something almost completely unrecognizable. Hendrix is just someone who provides a good theme so that these guys can create a psychedelic fusion improvisation. Overall play is impressive, yet it often becomes tiring for the listener, especially If the listener is a fervid fan of guitar legend. This is obvious from the very start when Third Stone From The Sun does not reach the richness of Hendrix's sound. Fire and Vood Chile sounds good enough for someone to sue them. When Deville and Bianco use samples, tracks end up being shallow.
With all the pluses and minuses, new Machine Mass album is for the fans of fusion jazz and not for the fans of guitar rock. And that is totally legit.
