THE END MACHINE – The End Machine [Japan Edition SHM-CD +1] (2019)

Classic-era Dokken members George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown have teamed up with Warrant’s Robert Mason to form THE END MACHINE. The band’s self-titled debut album will arrive March 22 via Frontiers Music, but tomorrow will appear this Japanese Edition.

“The real truth of it is that George and I have this great songwriting partnership that’s been going on for 35 years, and we love to work together,” says bassist and album producer Jeff Pilson. “When we bring Mick into play, we’re at home — we’re so comfortable as a rhythm section and we work together so well. And Mick is just a tremendous asset to any band — let’s face it.
So the three of us together do have that chemistry, whether we’re doing Dokken, or we did a T&N record a few years ago, or whether we’re doing The End Machine. When Robert Mason got involved, we realized, ‘Wow! This is it’s own animal. This is The End Machine”.

Is this just Dokken without Don Dokken? you might ask. Well, yes and no. While Lynch’s style of playing and the band’s songwriting may reminisce Dokken, there are constant twists here and there in the instrumental lines, and especially in Mason’s more raw approach to vocals that makes The End Machine its own thing.

“Leap Of Faith” opens the record with a groove inspired riff and mid-tempo pacing. I was anticipating something more aggressive or flamboyant to kick things off but I wasn’t disappointed with it. The song is soaked in a thick groove and a melody that attaches itself to you. This really sets the table for the overall approach and sound of the entire record.
“Hold Me Down” kicks the tempo up and Pilson’s bass instantly grabbed my attention. I love where it sits in the mix and you feel the bottom end of this song thump your chest. The verses are subdued with a guitar riff that dances above the bass line until the song opens up in the chorus.

“No Game” walks the same path, but it’s even slower and features some 70s style guitar playing, which can appease to the more classic rock ‘n’ roll fans. Mason’s way of singing bringt o mind Lynch Mob as well.
“Bulletproof” is beautifully constructed and Lynch even throws some bluesy leads to show his roots, which intertwines greatly with the atmosphere.

The fastest song on the album is “Ride It.” It’s a straight-ahead rocker that allows Lynch to insert one of his fret blazing solos. This is a ballsy, rebel display of awesome hard / heavy mastery that only Lynch and company could achieve with such swag. Brown’s pace is killer, and while Lynch’s guitar lines need no introduction and he does the best solo in the album, it’s actually Mason who truly shines here. His performance is top-notch and he adds fuel to the fire by nailing his screams perfectly. A highlight.

“Burn the Truth” is more atmospheric and plays kind of like a mix between Warrant’s ‘Dog Eat Dog’ (1992) era and Lynch Mob’s more blues-oriented tracks. Lynch does yet again a great job here in the acoustic lines, and Mason’s vocal versatility is a great asset, but this time around is Jeff Pilson who steals the show with monstrous bass lines.
“Hard Road” is a fun hard rocker and the chorus is catchy, straight rock n’ roll for the soul.

When the first single was released, “Alive Today,” it was interesting to see the comments scattered throughout various social media outlets. People saying it sounds exactly like old Dokken, or ’92 Lynch Mob, and even Jeff Pilson’s project War & Peace. I’m going to call it a great song done by The End Machine. The song has a feel good vibe to it and brings the classic hard rock sound forward to modern relevance.

This is a very diverse album – as much as a hard rock album can be – and it shows by the time “Line of Division” and “Sleeping Voices” come in. Both pretty much abandon the “70’s/80’s mixed with modern” approach and take you back to the early 90s.

“Line of Division” is one of the catchiest tracks here, and brings a groovy vibe to the mix, while “Sleeping Voices” is a classic VH1 Skid Row-esque semi-ballad.
The last track “Life Is Love Is Music” feels uncomplicated and lets the upbeat melody drive the hard rocker. The joyous atmospheric vibration of it feels good and finishes the album with an uplifting flavor.

George Lynch and company are masters of creating catchy, memorable hard rock music, and with “The End Machine” these veterans delivered exactly that.
If you’re into Dokken, Warrant, Lynch Mob, Lynch & Sweet, Badlands or anything somewhat related to these, you should definitely check it out.
Is classic Dokken back here? Almost…
HIGHLY Recommended

01. Leap Of Faith
02. Hold Me Down
03. No Game
04. Bulletproof
05. Ride It
06. Burn The Truth
07. Hard Road
08. Alive Today
09. Line Of Division
10. Sleeping Voices
11. Life Is Love Is Music
JAPAN BONUS TRACK:
12. Burn The Truth (Acoustic Version)

Robert Mason – Vocals (ex-LYNCH MOB, WARRANT)
George Lynch – Guitar (ex-DOKKEN)
Mick Brown – Drums (ex-DOKKEN)
Jeff Pilson – Bass (ex-DOKKEN)

BUY IT !
www.cdjapan.co.jp/product/KIZC-522
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