ANGER MACHINE hailing from North Holland, The Netherlands were formed in 2016. The are a Thrash and Groove Metal band. After having released one EP and one full-length album, their sophomore album “Human Error” was released on vinyl and cassette. The album was mixed and mastered by Mendel Bij De Leij at Mendelaudio. It has a length of 38 minutes, and it is an independent release. The album starts with the tension-building pre-lude “Intro”, transitioning into “Parasite”, which is a relatively fast Thrash attack with tight and aggressive guitar riffing. The vocals are harsh and vary between the deeper and medium end of the vocal range with a few screams. The vocals add on to the aggression of the track. At the heart of the song is the break with a very contributing lead guitar solo. The chorus parts introduce some catchiness in the melodies led by the guitars. “Parasite” is the official video, and the YouTube link is provided below. “Earthquaker” starts at a measured tempo with a sluggish rhythm and spine-chilling melodies. It transitions into a mid-tempo track with powerful guitar riffing and deep-lying harsh vocals, providing a dark atmosphere during the verse part. The chorus parts add some traces of melancholy, more melodies, and more Grooves to the track. The Groove side of the track becomes evident at the latest during the break and the lead guitar solo. Speaking about lead guitar solos, there are two on the track, one during the break and another one towards the end.

“Deadline Flatline” is a fast delivery with tight Thrash Metal riffing accompanied by plenty of double-bass drumming. There is backing vocal support during the choruses, adding a bit of a Crossover twist to the track. There is an abrupt change in tempo for the break and the lead guitar solo, which adds more Grooves to the track. However, the break is relatively short and the track circles back to another fast and aggressive verse/chorus part. “Killer In Disguise” has a fast start with punishing guitar riffs accompanied by the double-bass drumming, leading into the verse part. The vocals use mainly notes around the medium end of the vocal range with little tonal shifts apart from a couple of higher pitched screams. The break completely changes the nature of the track, offering an extended lead guitar solo with even a few classical vibes at the beginning and a few oriental inspirations later. “Obstacle Course” is another Thrash Metal assault, starting at crazy pace introducing the main riff. The guitar riffing is tight, direct, and aggressive and so are the vocals. While the verse and chorus parts are traditional Thrash Metal at their best, the break introduces the groovy and playful lead guitar solo, which takes away the intensity and anger from the track. The title song “Human Error” is a mid-tempo track during the verse part with more complexity in the guitar riffing and the drumming. The chorus parts slow down the tempo and offer a dark melodic sing-along in the best MACHINE HEAD tradition. The break keeps going with those vibes, where the extended lead guitar solo has some ballad-esque features. “Human Error” is with almost seven minutes playing time the longest album track.

“Acid Rainbow” is an aggressive delivery at mid-tempo with devastating guitar riffing and slightly deeper-lying harsh vocals. The verse parts are supported by plenty of double-bass drumming. Verse and chorus parts remain the same tempo and rhythm, while the break includes some subtle rhythm twists. At the centre of the break is the extended and contributing lead guitar solo. The “Interlude” is a one-minute acoustic guitar track with plenty of neo-classical vibes.  The album finishes with “Warpath”, which is a fast and intense track with traditional Thrash Metal riffing and a lot of double-bass drumming. There is once again backing vocal support, which gives the track an additional layer. The break introduces darkness to the melodies and a few melancholic features during the lead guitar solo. “Warpath” is a very good way to end the album. ANGER MACHINE deliver a good second album. “Human Error” offers a well composed mixture of traditional Thrash Metal and Groove Metal. While the verse parts of the tracks often follow classical Thrash Metal patterns, the choruses and the breaks often introduce the groovy elements to the tracks. Highlights are often the lead guitar solos. All is kept well together by the vocals, which fits perfectly to the album sound. The album is well produced. Fans of Groove and Thrash Metal will dig the album, and “Human Error” is a step forward in the development of ANGER MACHINE.