Machine Head & Fear Factory, Auckland NZ, 2024

Machine Head & Fear Factory

21st March 2024
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand

Review by Sarah Kidd with photography by Doug Peters.

A double header to end all graced Tāmaki Makaurau’s beloved Powerstation last night as the behemoths that are Machine Head and Fear Factory respectively closed out their ‘Slaughter the Martøur’ Australasia run in none other than Aotearoa.

There was no mucking around last night, with doors open at seven-thirty and Fear Factory hitting the stage at bang on 8pm, an extensive line of black clad individuals snaked along the streets leading into the venue, all chomping at the bit to get inside and stake out the best vantage point.

The show itself had sold out two weeks previously, the tasty double bill and chance to see Fear Factory’s new vocalist Milo Silvestro in person too good to miss out on. By the time fear Factory hit the stage, Powerstation was heaving with bodies, the atmosphere one of joviality and camaraderie, something that is often found in abundance at shows such as these which is what makes them such a compulsory outing. Old friends greeted one another with gusto, some proudly introducing their offspring who were now old enough to see the bands live that they had grown up listening to, the younger attendees making a beeline for the front while simultaneously fiending for the inevitable mosh pit.

When Fear Factory hit – the stage darkening amusingly to the sounds of the Terminator theme – the crowd let forth a collective roar that surely would have been heard streets away; a welcome fit for a band who despite numerous line-up changes over their roughly thirty-five year long career are still considered one of the heavy weights.

It was Dino Cazares who received the largest accolades, the last original (as well as founding) member of the band, he is a legend in the eyes of many. But as Pete “The Feet” Webber and Tony Campos (Static-X) assumed their respective places on drums and bass it was all eyes on the vocalist Milo Silvestro, his bright red hair catching the strobe lights.

But as ‘Shock’ from the 1998 °BSΩLE+e album rang out, any doubts or reservations as to whether this new vocalist could live up to the Fear Factory name were swiftly tossed out the window; Silvestro had the goods, and he was delivering them by the container load.

While it is true that bands – certainly, ones with a tenure – often go through line-up changes throughout the careers, a new vocalist can always be rather risky; but Silvestro is an excellent fit and brings an energy to the stage not seen for a while with his predecessor Burton C. Bell. This is by no means a slight against the good man himself; it was just exciting to see and feel the enthusiasim rise as Silvestro gave it his all.

The hallowed grounds of Powerstation were soon treated to a circle pit to rival any other in its history as ‘Edgecrusher,’ ‘Dielectric’ and ‘Linchpin’ with that unmistakable opening riff rained down upon the crowd; Webber demonstrating just why they call him Pete the Feet as the double kick pedals dominated. Silvestro appeared to be having the time of his life, often dropping down into the photo pit to bond with the fans on a more personal level.

Cazares, while remaining pretty static for most of the set was still a force to be reckoned with as his fingers tore apart the strings, Campos on bass providing that backbone that the industrial metal band are so well known for.

But again, it was Silvestro who stole the show, from clean vocals that shone through on the more atmospheric tracks through to growls that emitted from his guts with no apologies, he amplified each and every track, making them sound shiny and new, without losing any of their originality.

This current line-up of Fear Factory seemed renewed, invigorated, and comfortable with each other, the perfect recipe for a killer show; the inclusion of tracks such as ‘Slave Labor’ going back-to-back with ‘Archetype’ sending the already jacked up fans into a frenzy. Just when they thought it could not get any better, ‘Demanufacture’ came screaming in behind, the crowd chanting “I’ve got, no more, goddamn, regrets!” so loudly that they threatened to drown out the band, Fear Factory visually loving every second of it as Webber continued to lay down beats with unfettered precision.

Of course there was no way that Fear Factory could not include ‘Replica’, which Cazares began by encouraging the audience to chant “I Don’t Want to Live That Way”; declaring it was the final track of the set, fans showed their appreciation, while simultaneously all nodding to each other that surely there would be an encore, but just in case, they would give their all regardless.

Closing the night out with ‘Resurrection,’ Silvestro spoke of how music was often the one thing in someone’s life to get them through the darkest of days and the hardest of times; it was a sentiment felt by the entire room and recognised as such. Emotions shifted, the camaraderie intensified and the final song for Fear Factory digested with even more reverence; Silvestro taking a moment to crowd surf across a sea of hands who carried him like a conquering hero.

Let it be known, this current line-up of Fear Factory are unmissable.

Machine Head last graced Aotearoa in 2018, funnily enough at the exact same venue, so for many it would have felt like a strange mix of déjà vu and homecoming.

It seemed that the Bay Area icons had also gone through their own line-up change, with Matt Alston now on drums (replacing Dave McClain) and Reece Scruggs on lead guitar and backing vocals. Thankfully, bassist Jared MacEachern is still commanding the steel strings, his animated performances and – often hilarious – crowd interactions making him the one to watch when you can occasionally tear your eyes off the magnetic Robb Flynn.

The audience paused for a moment as they drank it all in, the stunning drum kit that loomed over the stage atop its riser, the big screen visuals that drawled out in blood red lettering “Machine Fucking Head” before exploding into fevered screams as the boys themselves stormed the stage.

Wasting no time, Machine Head ripped straight into ‘Imperium’ from 2003’s Through the Ashes of Empires, Powerstation almost buckling at the knees at the ferocity of both fans and band combined, chants of “No Fucking Regrets” and “Machine Fucking Head” melding together into one as heads windmilled across the room. If this was the opening, this was going to be one hell of a night.

‘Ten Ton Hammer’ and ‘CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE’ followed close behind, Flynn quickly demonstrating that his vocals are still some of the best as he nailed the clean pre-chorus without hesitation.

It is here that it has to be mentioned that the lighting and sound team for the night were worthy of a gold medal or two; the lighting in particular across both sets impeccable and amplifying each band. Kudos to making it a night to remember!

With a cascading waterfall of hair, Scruggs held his own on lead guitar, shredding riffs that made the ears stand to attention, Alston accompanying him with precision that made the eyes water and the heart soar. However, it is Flynn that still holds the title of guitar god in the band, his solos making many fans momentarily pause as they watched in awe as he raised his guitar neck in the air and ran his fingers at lightning speed.

Add to this the fact that Flynn at no point faulted with the vocals despite how hectic they became on some tracks pace wise, and you had a set that was destined to become their finest in New Zealand so far.
‘Aesthetics of Hate’ provided a momentary chance to catch one’s breath, the mosh pit now heaving, bodies collectively moving as one as the temperature climbed to a point on the thermostat that was just uncomfortable enough that it made the fans gloriously mosh harder. Flynn never letting the audience forget that they were in New Zealand and that they were expected to give it everything as he regularly addressed them and encouraged them to go crazy as any good lead singer should.

‘Locust’ brought more mouth-watering solos from Scruggs and Flynn, it was the perfect follow on from ‘Old’ which was not played the last time they visited, fans hanging out for it after seeing the set list from over in Australia.

Metalheads love nothing better than a good chant, and ‘The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears’ as well as the pulverising ‘NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS’ provided them with ample opportunity to raise their voices to the heavens themselves, Flynn visibly feeding off of their energy as his own vocals grew in intensity, his fist pounding the air. He also took the time to encourage the fans of female persuasion to make themselves seen and heard, to come through to the front and get amongst it without fear, and this was appreciated by many. Metal equals equality after all.

‘NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS’ also ushered in the more melodic tracks of the evening, ‘SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR’ carrying on in the same vein, and it is here that many would argue that Machine Head really stand out from just your standard run of the mill metal band.

Flynn has an impressive vocal range and despite sweat now dripping from his arms, he carried the vocals flawlessly, the combination of Scruggs and MacEachern (now shirtless and windmilling at some points relentlessly) elevating the overall experience while Alston drove through from behind like a man on a mission. Last nights of the tour can sometimes be a little hit and miss, bands are tired and when in a smaller city may not always put in their best. But not Machine Head, if anything it was the complete opposite, and the fans were loving every second of it.

Time seemed to disappear in a heartbeat, the end of the night already unbelievably drawing near, ‘Davidian’ – a compulsory track for any Machine Head set list – seeing the Powerstation once again explode as bodies hurled themselves against each other, goats raised high.

Returning for an encore, Flynn spoke of dropping a cover that they had not performed live in rather a long time – some fans secretly hoping for Slayer or Iron Maiden which the boys had been playing across Australia.

Instead, Auckland was treated to an incredibly special rendition of the Sepultura classic ‘Roots Bloody Roots’, those wearing Sepultura shirts easily celebrating the loudest as they howled the chorus while clawing at the sky. What a tune, what a cover!

But all good things must end, and Robb Flynn is an expert on how to bring the night to a close, ‘Halo’ the perfect song with which to do so.

Once again from 2007’s The Blackening album, Machine Head tore down the walls with riffs that grabbed hold of your insides and threw you back and forth in rhythmic celebration, all four members delivering their best performances of the night for almost ten glorious minutes. It could not be faulted, even if you were there only to see Fear Factory, it was a moment in time that could not be forgotten.

The fans went wild, Machine Head declaring their appreciation with both words, set lists, drumsticks and guitar pics that were generously thrown like confetti, grown men all of a sudden reverting back to kids at a lolly scramble, triumphant smiles indicating that a tour pic had indeed been secured and would now remain forever treasured.

Long may these juggernauts of the scene continue their undisputed reign.

Machine Head:

Fear Factory:

Were you there at Powerstation for this heavy metal double header? Or have you seen Machine Head or Fear Factory perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Machine Head Setlist:

1. Imperium
2. Ten Ton Hammer
3. CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE
4. Now We Die
5. Aesthetics of Hate
6. Old
7. Locust
8. The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears
9. NØ GØDS, NØ MASTERS
10. SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR
11. Bulldozer
12. From This Day
13. Davidan
14. Roots Bloody Roots [Sepultura cover][encore]
15. Halo [encore]

Fear Factory Setlist:

1. Shock
2. Edgecrusher
3. Dielectric
4. Powershifter
5. Fuel Injected Suicide Machine
6. Linchpin
7. What Will Become?
8. Slave Labor
9. Archetype
10. Demanufacture
11. Zero Signal
12. Replica
13. Resurrection [encore]

_{Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.}

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