The Man and His Machine, or TMHM, from Saskatchewan in Canada have managed six releases including this one, in their five years of existence. This is a short album at just over 23 minutes but what is lacking in content is compensated by bucket-loads of aggression.
“Stage Names” is a very interesting mix. What I heard at first was slowed down punk with chaos going on in the background. “Bad Luck in Belleville”, which opens the album, is hard and musically tight. What’s most noticeable is the ranting narrator, who tells his tales of depravity, failure and rejection in a harsh, pissed-off tone. Some of the lines are priceless: “Grow up to be someone who no-one misses”, “grind hard and work cheque-to-cheque for a senior’s discount”. The dripping cynicism and turns of phrase reminded me a lot of the Mancunian rant poet John Cooper Clarke.
Musically, the style cranks up to a purer punk style but it’s always tight and there’s always hardcore aggression in there. By “Threadcounts”, TMHM are on full throttle with punk energy bursting out from every corner. The drummer beats the life out of his skins, and the gang chip in with their choruses. On “Threadcounts”, the chorus is less of a chorus than a discordant rabble. This short album bangs on with its bursting ferocity, tight musicianship and in-your-face style – great stuff.
The themes of the songs may be rancid but “Stage Names” is a real breath of fresh air. Quality musicianship and songs, not to forget the ranting vocalist, go together nicely to create a potent package of aggression.
(8.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
https://www.facebook.com/themanandhismachine
https://themanandhismachine.bandcamp.com/album/stage-names-2
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