Review: Starseed – Peace Machine

Sergio reviews Starseed’s Peace Machine.

Artist Name: Starseed
Album Name: Peace Machine
Year: 2009
Genre: Hard Rock

Peace Machine is what I like to refer to as ‘soulful rock’ – where artists focus more on melody and delivery than an abundance of aggression and chaos. Whilst many other bands hide behind talented guitarists or drummers and fail to realise that the voice is still one of the most powerful instruments in music, Starseed have created an expressive sound around their vocalist, Russell Spence. At times, I can’t help but wonder if Spence attended the same “School of Soul” as The Narrow’s Hanu De Jong, because these guys are just masters of modern melodic rock!

By no means is Spence the only star of the group, as he is complimented by equally impressive musicianship from his other band members. There is a collective method to the songwriting and you immediately notice that Starseed focus more on running a tight ship than having an individualistic pompous approach. A track such as ‘Shine’ excels because of this, as it’s a solid song from beginning to end, not just a quick flash of brilliance.

The roots of the album are also interesting to note, as you pick up many elements of punk, rock, metal and hardcore in the sound. Personally, one of the highlights of Peace Machine was the savage ‘Pills’, which really summed up the variety of the record – ferocity, melody, and mosh-along sections that will ignite any rocker’s heart.

From the radio-friendly hits to heavier numbers, Peace Machine is one of the most solid debuts I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing. Producer Jason Wilcock obviously pushed Starseed to the extreme, as all 12 tracks are truly world-class in every way. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see these guys sharing the stage with bands such as Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace in the near future. Buy it now!

Best Tracks: ‘Shine’, ‘Falling’, and ‘Pills’

90/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
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