New Mecanica- Love & Hate
Metal these days knows no boundaries; it crops up in the most unlikely of places. I was surprise to find New Mecanica from Portugal! Metal seems to usually fester in the cold, bleak areas of the world, hence why so much great heavy music comes from Scandinavia! So what would you expect from a band all the way from the very hot and vibrant Portugal? Well quite a talented one, not the most brutal metal band about, New Mecanica are all about the melodic choruses. There's nothing wrong with that, I just file it under “commercial metal”.
'Love & Hate' isn’t the most original release, but is a high quality professional release. I think maybe a little over polished perhaps. If you were to hear them live, I am sure the heavier parts would be crushing, on a Machine Head scale. There's certainly some catchy as hell tunes on here, track 3 'Rise' being one of the standout tracks on the record. Full of groove and melody New Mecanica deliver the goods. Track 4, 'Lonely' certainly lives up to its name, all quiet and brooding before hitting the pit riff. I could spend hours on comparing New Mecanica but to cut it short, there’s a bit of Machine Head, Disturbed and In Flames are probably the closest comparisons. In fact, they have a tendency for using Machine Head styled pit inducing riffs that are then mixed with the more melodic In flames and Disturbed styled riffing. So what, who cares they’re not going to be winning any awards for most innovative band of the year, but the do deserve a listen just for the catchyness and the potential they possess. I think that with a bit more seasoning and given the time to find their own sound, New Mecanica can be a Metal force to be reckoned with!