Customer Reviews

Angry Machines

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I just need to chime in and say that Angry Machines is a great album. Sure the production seems different than classic earlier albums, but the songs are simple and awsome. Black, Double Monday, and Dying in America are personal favorites. You never hear about this album when Dio comes up, but I believe those who turn over this stone will be one step closer rock n' roll fulfillment.

It may be different and it is definately not Holy Diver but this album is good. It is very different from previous material but it has an edge to it that I think is cool. Much like Strange Highways Dio goes in a newer direction that may upset some people but I think it is really good. It is DARK but the songs have much more substance. Listen to some of his old albums (ie., Sacred Heart) there are some real stinkers there. The whole album has a mood to it that I can't quite explain but I think musically Dio has grown on this album. Check out Strange Highways first before you dive in here though it may be too much of a stretch at first.

In 1996, there were some things missing in the music scene. No one was doing original, straight forward, non-tampered-with albums. So what does Dio do? Make the most raw album in the Dio catalog. Angry Machines is heavy, dark, original and hrd rock that is in your face. Black and Big Sister stand out as the hard rockers. Along with Don't tell the Kids. The string arrangement on Stay out of my Mind is a nice suprise. And This is your Life is the perfect, relaxing closer for the album. So if you are looking for a straight forward hard rock album with the feel of Sabbath. Angry Machines is a good buy.

This is the most original sound you'll ever get from hearing Dio. It is nothing like Rainbow rising, Heaven and Hell, or Holy diver...but this one has a distinct and really interesting sound to it. It would be nice to hear Ronnie sing the kind of stuff he used to, but this is a very welcomed addition to my Dio collection.

People were complaining about Killing the Dragon and Master of the Moon being too repetitive--do you know why? Because when Dio tries to do something new and different, like this album, the fans hate it! I saw a review down there somewhere, a very short one: "PIANOS??? WTF THIS ISN'T DIO!" or something along those lines. But the more open-minded fans out there will probably enjoy this. Of course it's really not anything like Holy Diver etc, but you have to admit this is some pretty intelligent music! ANGRY MACHINES sees Dio experimenting a bit with odd time signatures (Double Monday or Dying in America for example) and new sounds. Tracy G's guitar style is very unique, I love how he uses those strange intervals (b5's mostly, for musicians who might be reading,) to create a really evil-sounding riff, with the occasional shred thrown in. And lyrically the album is actually better than the "classics," I'd say. Rather than demons and wizards etc, Angry Machines mostly deals with the problems of society today. The lyrics to "Dying in America" are probably some of the best I've heard! And as far as the music itself, I don't know why so many people dislike this album. The songs are catchy and heavier than before as well. Personal favorites include Dying in America, Hunter of the Heart (live version is awesome,) and Double Monday (I love the interlude!) Hard-rocking and well thought-out songs, both musically and lyrically. Most importantly, it's different from the other albums! And if you're a Dio fan, isn't that worth buying it for already?

Like Black Sabbath's'Dehumanizer'(1992)-a great album,by the way-what got in the way of success for this 1996 release was the new direction that Ronnie took:a different theme for his lyrics,and a new guitar player,Tracy G.-very different in style and musical outlook than Dio's previous legionnaires,especially in his inclination toward more extreme and less melodic forms of metal,e.g.Fear Factory's machine gun riffs come to mind.Once again,the problem here is not with the artists,but rather with the expectations of the fans.A very solid and interesting effort,proving that Ronnie can go beyond the dragon-rock approach.

Dio is one of the most underrated artists of all time. A lot of the reviews I read regarding this disc indicated it was crap. It is different than anything I have ever heard from Dio & that's only because it deals with more main stream subject matter. I was right when I decided to ignore the critics & bought it any way!!

I really really enjoy Angry Machines, one of the many and many Dio classic albuns. It's really heavy raw metal, maybe the heaviest on Dio's catalogue. Some songs are among the best of Dio, like BLACK, DON'T TELL THE KIDS and INSTITUCIONAL MAN.

I had heard this was like Strange Highways and, since that is a great album, I had to get this one. While this is not the same sound as Strange Highways, it is equally heavy. I have always enjoyed Holy Diver and Last in Line, but I felt there were some weaknesses in his ensuing albums (Sacred Heart and Dream Evil) with too many weak filler songs and too much synthesizer even on the better tracks. I love the dark, heavy stuff Dio does like Strange Highways and his Sabbath/Heaven and Hell albums. This album is in that same vein and is hard driving and extremely heavy...Tracy G. rocks on lead guitar! It has a bunch of outstanding, catchy songs on it (Institutional Man, Hunter of the Heart, Dying in America, Double Monday, Don't Tell the Kids, Black, and Stay Out of My Mind). There is certainly no light and/or overly synthesized stuff on here, save for the light final track (This Is Your Life). It took me a few listens to get into it, but once I did, it was well worth it. Dio took a chance with this and, imo, it paid off huge! I would recommend it to both Dio fans and fans of heavy metal looking for something new.

Dio leaves (or is dropped) from his major label home and moves to Spitfire records for this release. He also tries to branch out into a different territory than his fans were used to hearing. Gone are the sword and fantasy lyrics that Dio is mostly known for. In their place are songs about real world issues and images. Does it work? Well....to an extent. The album is very heavy with bottom end guitar provided by Greg Goldy and the rhythm section of Appice and Jeff Pilson. This album actually reminds me somewhat of Black Sabbath's "Dehumizer" album which I was personally disappointed with. Overall I find this album to be pretty average although there are a few standout tracks. "Stay Out Of My Mind" clocks in at over 7 minutes with an almost proggy sounding middle section. "Dying In America" is another cool track. The album closer is a ballad with just piano as accompaniment. This is defiantly different from anything Dio has done before, but for me it works and I like the song. Other than that I don't find a lot here that blows me away. This is a decent album for the Dio completest, but far from essential in my opinion.