From the Local Musician's Showcase in the Message for the week July 2009.
Element Of The Machine Fine Tuning For New CD Release
Story by Joe Milliken,
Rising from the ashes of two previously well-known local rock/metal bands, Broken Mindz and Mercy Machine, comes Element Of The Machine, a hard-driving metal/rock band based in Springfield, Vermont who are currently recording tracks for a new album to be released this summer on the Deka Records label.
The band features former Mercy Machine members Chris Mack (also of Intercept, Sonic Structure) on lead guitar and vocals and Scott Erskine (Sullyvn Street) on guitar and vocals, along with ex-Broken Mindz band mates Mike Descoteaux (Infinite IS, Stuffed Soul) on bass and Jeff Bixby (Smashbong, Icaria) on drums.
In October of 2008, Broken Mindz had parted ways leaving Mike and Jeff in search of another project, so they posted some flyers at different locations. "Chris and I spotted their flyer and contacted them because Mercy Machine had also called it quits," Erskine stated in a recent interview with The Message. "We started jamming and writing new tunes together, changing old ones to fit what we were creating and everything just clicked."
In March, these four talented musicians officially joined forces and have been hard at work perfecting their sound, a brutal blend of stellar guitars and progressive power. "Element Of The Machine writes all original music," Erskine added. " The band's music is very much a throwback to old-school Swedish metal, but with sort of our own new-metal twist."
Then almost immediately after forming, Element Of The Machine was offered a recording deal from Deka Records, an independent label based in Arizona.
"The signing with Deka Records was frankly, quite out of the blue," Erskine added. "We received an email from their A&R representative Joe Gentile, who said that he found us online, thought our music was killer and wanted to sign us. "A couple days later they sent us a contract and signed us on to the label, which of course, we are thrilled about!"
The band has been working hard on the new album at Mackay Productions, which is owned and operated by Mack, and is in the mixing and mastering stages.
"This new band simply sounds amazing," Mack stated in a recent interview. "I've waited a long time to be in a band with musicians of not only this caliber, but also character. We have a lot of fun playing and recording together."
The band expects their debut release, which has yet to be titled, to be ready sometime in the fall.
