Through the ashes of EmpiresCritiques:
METAL HAMMER (UK)Back to the old skool for Robb Flynn and Co.!1994 - Machine Head turn the metal world on its head with the brutal debut album 'Burn My Eyes', a record that reassembled the hoary thrash clichés into a fiercely combative modern form. 2003 - for the first time since that debut, Machine Head deliver an album worthy of their talent - and of mainman Robert Flynn's fighting spirit. Yep, it's taken nearly a decade - and three interim studio albums - but at long last the Bay Area bangers have reclaimed lost ground, found their focus and taken a massive stride towards re-establishing themselves as one of the planet's pre-eminent metal masters. 'Through The Ashes Of Empires' is a mighty record, a tribute the unshakable belief of Flynn and his current team, including new guitarist Phil Demmel. It's angry, confrontational, ferocious, yet also displays an appropriate subtlety when required. Fuelled by personal demons, Flynn delivers some of the most emotionally scarred vocals of his career to date - have Machine Head ever done a better song than 'Left Unfinished' wherein Flynn exorcises resentment about his real parents, while openly attesting love for his adopted mother and father. It's both harrowing yet inspirational. And has the man ever expressed his character better than on 'In The Presence Of My Enemies', when he vows to protect his own - at whatever cost. The music is deadly, breathtaking and convincing. The songs are passionate and eloquent. The best album from Machine Head since 'Burn My Eyes'? Definitely! The best album of their career? Possibly. This is inspirational metal.MALCOLM DOME [9] (out of 10)
HAMMER (Germany)Album Of The Month - 7 out of 7(Translated from German)You wanted the best? You got the best! The best band in the world... What? Who shouted Kiss? Fuck you, you're wrong! The four piece armada from Oakland is here, on their way for their triumphant progress. 7 points [out of 7] - and straight on the Soundcheck throne [highest average review from all staff writers]. Captain, guitarist and singer Robb Flynn and his crew got the biggest breakwater written since their debut BURN MY EYES and shoot all critics powerfull bullets in front of the bow. The hymn "Imperium" needs to get full respect. But also the rest of the album doesn't lose any of the power. Pure power, fucking fast, melodies, great arrangements and a fresh variety - are the attributes which describe Through The Ashes of Empires and the historical average mark of 5.55 [highest of any album ever reviewed by Hammer] points makes them to be the winner of the soundcheck and album of the month.Beside great compositions and a great sound is the vocal performance of Robert Flynn is outstanding. He never was a bad singer, but he worked hard on his vocal chords. Hateful and possessed screaming and clear and comparatively high passages he copes excellent. And there is one fact in 2003: Machine Head will never do a bad album. But that is not all: Through The Ashes Of Empires rules and exceeds their releases in the past. This you can fix at two points: First of all: the new record sounds more Machine Head - funny for you - but this is the truth. The 4 piece from California made it to bundle up the real "Machine Head essence" and part it on the single parts of their own sound. This is why Through The Ashes Of Empires is in average harder and faster but at the same time more melodic and more subtly nuanced.Second: Sir Robb Flynn developed to a great song writer. And his rise into the league of James Hetfield is done with the new album. Pearls like the giant "Imperium", "Bite The Bullet" or the monumental "Descend The Shades Of Night" are - beside other hits out of his nib - examples for his outstanding skill. A deep bow to an outstanding band and an album that rules, which not many people believe that Machine Head was capable of doing this.
HARD ROCK (France)17 out of 20(Translated from French)Amazingly powerful tunes, more-than-heavy riffs, complex but effective structures, ambiances that would scare a ghost train manager… Everything is in there: the desire to headbang while air-guitaring in the middle of the office, the desire to crank up the level of the sound even if this is not possible anymore… Machine Head has headed back to what they do best, an ultrapowerful power-metal, all riffs ahead, with killer melodies. Plus guitarist Ahrue Luster’s replacement , Phil Demmel, is excellent . A throne was being disputed by a thirsty barbarians mob, Rob Flynn has just put a buttock on it, and it’s gonna be hard to throw him out!
de ce sujet fonctionnant un peu sur le même principe que celui du ciné !Donc, en gros, il s'agit de parler de son album coup de coeur du moment, et pas de son disque préféré de tous les temps, nuance. 
De plus, si vous changez de CD 10 fois par jour, vous comprendrez qu'on ne vous demande pas de poster à chaque fois. :-P Il faut que le coup de coeur pour l'album soit significatif tout de même, pas seulement votre disque préféré de la journée. :)Voilà, j'espère que c'est assez précis. :)A moi de commencer donc, et je ne vais pas faire dans l'originalité avec... le nouvel album de Muse, Absolution ! 
Voilà un titre que j'ai noté depuis longtemps d