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Of Machines - As If Everything Was Held In Place Album Cover
Author's Rating
Vocals 7.75
Musicianship 8.25
Lyrics 7.5
Production 8
Creativity 8
Lasting Value 7.25
Reviewer Tilt 8
Final Verdict: 78%
Member Ratings   
Vocals 8.22
Musicianship 8.22
Lyrics 7
Production 7.38
Creativity 6.91
Lasting Value 7.88
Reviewer Tilt 8.06
Average: 77%
Inside AP.net

Of Machines - As If Everything Was Held In Place

Reviewed by: Handraa (03/12/09)
Of Machines - As If Everything Was Held In Place
Record Label: Rise Records
Release Date: March 3, 2009

When Oceana's The Tide was released, it instantly became one of my favorite albums, and it seemed as if everyone was into it as well. With stunning musicianship from beginning to end and great vocals on top of that, Oceana appeared to put Rise Records back on the map. Rise tried to follow that same pattern with the debut album As If Everything Was Held In Place from one of their better signings, Of Machines.

I mentioned Oceana in the introductory paragraph because Of Machines resembles them so much (instrumentally at least). The guitarist creates beautiful guitar parts that flow together wonderfully, and the drummer tops it all off to create one hell of an album. The album as a whole just flows well, and the band does a great job of placing electronic fills where they fit best (listen to the title track), but they really could have expanded on this with other songs as well, not just the interludes.

Vocally, Of Machines doesn't quite bring anything new to the table. The growled vocals are nothing you really haven't heard before and resemble Jamie Elsewhere. As for the clean side of things, this guy can really sing and demands attention, but he sounds like a mixture Cove Reber of Saosin and Johnny Craig of Emarosa, which can become quite annoying at times (see "Becoming Closer to Closure").

"Reset, Reflect" and "Things Too Visable To See" are the highlights of As If Everything Was Held In Place. With these songs Of Machines showcases what the band has to offer on both the heavier and melodic side of things.

Of Machines is a great band, but they seem to repeat themselves in every song on this album. At least this album expands on a new style of music, and it may be a money maker for Rise Records.

Recommended If You LikeOceana's The Tide with elements of Sky Eats Airplane's Sky Eats Airplane; Burden Of a Day's Blessed Be Our Ever After

myspace.com/ofmachinestheband
 
Displaying posts 1 - 15 of 22.
12:27 PM on 03/19/09
#2
more heart
I liked Horsebot 3000.
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Interesting comparison to the SEA EP...

By the way, I like this review much better
03:58 PM on 03/19/09
#3
Handraa
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Originally Posted by more heart
Interesting comparison to the SEA EP...

By the way, I like this review much better
Thank you.
10:02 AM on 03/21/09
#4
batmannj
"No more half measures Walt"
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Good review. Ok album.
03:25 PM on 03/23/09
#5
SomedayTheFire
Moyesy Neighbours
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I'm enjoying the clean vocals, sounds a lot like Secret & Whisper's singer. Seems good so far.
11:54 AM on 04/10/09
#6
PureBlueSF
UNDERPANTS
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Reset, Reflect is a great song. The whole album in general is definitely above average, and better than most of the shit Rise signs.
05:58 PM on 04/10/09
#7
shimmyshakes
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I JUST listened to Of Machines for the first time,
and the first thing I thought was Oceana.
07:48 PM on 05/23/09
#8
TrevCore
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just because i love oceana so incredibly much i literally MUST check this album out now after that comparison
08:54 AM on 06/02/09
#9
Zkrp
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I just listened to this band and they are amazing. I can't really see the comparision to OCEANA especially the new album Birtheater
11:30 AM on 06/08/09
Handraa
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Originally Posted by Zkrp
I just listened to this band and they are amazing. I can't really see the comparision to OCEANA especially the new album Birtheater
The comparision to OCEANA was in their instrumentation (on The Tide). Its almost identical.
06:43 PM on 06/09/09
Zkrp
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o ok got ya yea i guess I could see that
09:39 PM on 02/19/10
absoluut
im 12 and what is this
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clean vocals vary a lot. really like it. screaming vocals could use some more depth
03:15 PM on 02/21/10
Echo Park
Constipated People Don't Giv a Crap
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the vocals are more like Cove& Secret and Whispers singer than Jonny Craig. I wish it was more Jonny.
01:12 AM on 03/08/10
AirTraffic
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Hmm...maybe I was listening to the wrong stuff by Oceana. I actually wasn't too impressed with the stuff I heard. It didn't sound very well written to me...it just kind of sounded like it was all thrown together. Of Machines I was actually quite impressed with though...musically and vocaly.
07:22 PM on 03/19/10
a nocturnal day
this ain't a game
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Lol I thought Becoming Closer to Closure was the best song by far, not annoying.
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