Shihad - Beautiful Machine (with the bonus disc).

[Pakehendrix]

I like Beautiful Machine. Chameleon and Skank are bloody epic live. I saw them with the Datsuns (awful, awful, awful performance by the Datsuns) at the St James and it was the first time they played those songs, and they were wicked. It's definitely like the Fish album, and I predict it will become a classic too. "One Will Hear The Other" has been thrashed to death, and it makes me hate radio. But if you turn that song up loud, there are those same feelgood parts as "Home Again" and "Pacifier". Rule The World is awesome, and Waiting Round For God is a pretty cool step away from a lot of their previous 'acoustic' stuff. The bonus disc is just as good as the album, and contains my favourite tracks, which are among my top ten Shihad songs - Lowlife and Skank. Skank possibly has the best bass riff I have heard in many years.

Definitely not the heavy Shihad, but it does manage to strike a good balance between soft and hard. I'm sure almost everyone here has seen them live, and it helps to imagine these tracks at a concert - they still 100% have that Shihad edge.

Beautiful Machine fits perfectly into my collection, because it leads into Churn. And as some people have pointed out, this is similar to the Fish album. Perhaps the main reason I like this album is because its follow up is somehow going to be even better.

I dare you! Turn the CD up, it gets better the louder it is

Beautiful Machine + Bonus Disc - 8/10.

[mahtone]

I completely agree! I've had it on loop since wednesday and I'm not even close to tired of it yet.

One of the things I like so much about Shihad is that every member of that band contributes something awesome to their sound. For some reason I never get tired of it.

Some random observations of my own:
Some of the bass lines on this album are awesome. They run the whole range from funky to churning to smooth.
I can totally see every song in a live setting.
I like every track on the bonus disc. I think I liked only one off the Pacifier Album bonus disc.
I love cranking it in the car and singing full noise to it. I think that's the mark of a good album.
I seriously want to know what amp(s) Phil is using. I heard there's an orange in there. I love the tone.
The return to more melody and harmony in the writing is great. There are some good choices with tempo and dynamic in there too.

That's all I can think of right now...

[thehenderson]

The first single from this album is all I've heard and it's the most bland and boring radio rock song I've ever heard and it makes me want to die

I liked their last album though, but I can't stomach the cringe-inducing rock posturing they go for live. "Is everyone here ready to rock" No John, no we're not

[Jenesis]

The first single from this album is all I've heard and it's the most bland and boring radio rock song I've ever heard and it makes me want to die

Yep, I get that suicyco feeling when I hear the Foo Fighterzzzzzzzz...

I stopped listening to Shihad after "Devolve".

[Clarky]

This is a very good album. There are so many great songs on one album. Jon is so on top of his game with his vocals, and the mixing and production are first rate. You can hear the definition on just about every guitar string, and there is some seriously good tone being extracted all over the place. This will be on serious rotation for the daily commute for some time.