Review: Emmanuel 7 - Machines in Routine

artist: emmanuel 7 album: machines in routine label: thorp records released: 2003 by: rob tatum Connecticut’s Emmanuel 7 is one of those bands that leave the listener perplexed at first listen. Mixing hardcore with strong doses of metal and grind along with a little bit of melody, the band generates a heavy barrage on the senses. Once the band’s sound starts to sink in, it is a little easier to analyze the various components of the music. One of the first things that I picked up on was the single guitar. At times the band’s music reminds me of Coalesce (i.e. the single guitar), and yet there are instances when Emmanuel 7 struggles with extremely muddy distortion and bland beats. The vocal range of singer Darrell Tauro is exhibited on tracks such as “Chamomile” but he struggles to really make an impact with his singing. The deep, overpowering vocals that appear on the majority of the tracks begin to be a little monotone as it coincides with the music. I was generally impressed by the musicianship; however, the grind parts don’t fit certain songs and really take away from the overall flow the album. Machines in Routine exhibits a wide range of musical styles and abilities, but I really think that Emmanuel 7 is trying to do too much with too little. This might appeal to fans of older Cave In and Coalesce, but Machines in Routine is a too diverse to make any direct comparisons. favorite song: "chamomile" rating: 83%/100% listen to emmanuel 7