Damn the Machine – Self-Titled

This is the second of a two-part tribute to Chris Poland (today is his birthday). After Return to Metalopolis, Poland had a band called Damn the Machine. As with RtM, his brother Mark was on drums, with David Randi on bass and Dave Clemmons on vocals. The band’s 1993 self-titled debut on A&M was its only album, which slipped through the cracks of not only the label but also the public.

It’s not surprising that A&M dropped the ball with the album. Labels like bands that are easy to market, and Damn the Machine’s abstract prog style fell somewhere between rock and metal. It wasn’t hard enough to be straight-up metal, and it was too complex to be rock, especially in the era of grunge. Somewhere at home I have a promotional A&M; videotape that has Damn the Machine’s “The Mission” alongside Soundgarden and Paw. That pretty much sums up what the band was up against.

(To this day, the video for “The Mission” isn’t up at YouTube, so if someone could upload it, that would be a great community service.)

Damn the Machine was a proper band, so Poland’s playing in it was somewhat restrained. He didn’t solo much, though when he did, his fluid style was unmistakable. However, his rhythm parts really shone – those palm-muted riffs and trademark chord voicings trace lineage back through RtM to Poland’s time in Megadeth. These two clips also feature Poland’s delightful clean tones, which are glistening in “On with the Dream” and rubbery in “Russians.”

On with the Dream
Russians

RtM and DtM only scratch the surface of Poland’s career. Since then, he’s had a female-fronted band called Nothing If Not, played guest solos on Lamb of God and Megadeth albums, and formed his own fusion band, the amazing OHM:. Until Damn the Machine gets the reissue it deserves, you can find it cheaply at Amazon.
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