Crushed - 'My Machine'
                                                                                                                                                               Released through No Relief Records on December 5, 2006
THE BAND:
Mark Layer - vocals & guitar
Mike Halland - guitars
Jeff Garten - drums
Michael Brown - bass
Harry McCales - keyboards & guitars
        additional musicians:
Jamie Muhdberac - keyboards
Chris Damhurst - programming
Colette Devey - vocal harmony on the song "Ether"

TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) "What Kind Of Life" - A rhythm guitar riff makes up this intro section.  The intro riff was done using a studio effect that not only causes the electric guitar to jump between the speakers.  There also was a second studio effect attached to the rhythm riff that gives the guitar a turned down effect.  The band used the same rhythm riff of the intro for the musical verse only without the studio effects.  Jeff's snare mic was turned up causing the snare's crack to be louder than usual.  The vocal accents Mark uses through the verse have a Tony Harnell (TNT, Westworld) feel to them.  There are a couple of lyrics through the verse were there is a small vocal echo attached to Marks vocals.  The rhythm guitar arrangement of the musical verse has several musical rests which places the main focus of the song on Mark's vocals.  There is a rhythm guitar change underneath the vocal lines of the pre-chorus.  As the vocal lines progress through the chorus they take on a modern metal feel.  The outro after the second pre-chorus consisted of piano and vocals.  There was no lead guitar solo for this song.  
2.) "Hovering" -This intro section opens with a rhythm guitar riff and tom-tom pattern.  Connecting this half of the intro section with the rest of the intro section are a few small Zakk Wylde influenced rhythm guitar licks.  The band used the same rhythm arrangement for the verse as the intro section.  Vocally, if one did not know any better they could sear this was a different lead vocalist singing this track.  There are a couple rhythm guitar lead licks connecting the verse with the chorus.  At times through the vocal chorus there is a small hook attached to the vocal lines.  The chorus at times sounded like it was turned down.  The band drastically changed the second verses arrangement in comparison to the first verse.  This track also has no lead guitar solo. 
3.) "Dwell" -This track opens with a very laid back clean electric guitar rhythm.  The musical verse consisted of two different rhythm guitar riffs.  This track was recorded outside of standard 4/4 time giving the hi-hat a very syncopated feel.  Once again the band used the same arrangement for the verse as the intro section.  There is a small vocal echo attached to the end of each vocal line of the verse.  On the opening lyric line of the chorus either Jay, Mike or Harry switches one of the rhythm guitars from a clean electric sound to a distorted electric guitar sound.  This changes the dynamics of the song a little.  Considering the fact this track was recorded outside of 4/4 time, the song was fairly basic.  Which is unusual for time signatures of this nature.  
4.) "Ether" -Underneath the rhythm guitar riff of this intro section there is a very cool tom-tom pattern.  From right off, I can just about tell you this tom-tom pattern is going to make the song.  Sandwiched within the verse there is a small musical arrangement change.  There is a very cool rhythm guitar riff underneath the vocal lines of the chorus.  This track is a modern rock song laced with heavy metal tendencies.        
5.) "Unbroken" - This track opens with a drum & bass line.  The rhythm guitar riffs that connect the verse sounded like it was done with a palm-muting effect.  Though there was a rhythm guitar change for the musical verse, the band also found away to incorporate the rhythm guitar riff that connected the intro to the verse.  The opening and closing hi-hat rhythm gave the drum line a very nice sound.  The rhythm guitar arrangement changes from a lead guitar effect to a more standard rhythm guitar riff for the musical chorus.  At times there was a Lenny Wolf (Kingdom Come) sound to Mark's vocals through the chorus.  The vocal scream at the end of the chorus had a modern metal sound to it.  For being written out of 4/4 time this song has a certain melodic feel to it, that is very unusual.  After I believe the third chorus there is a small breakdown section.   
6.) "Crash Coping" -This track opens with a strange rhythm guitar effect. This guitar effect runs underneath the first few vocal lines of the verse.  In fact, the band used this effect to fill-in some of the empty spots left by the main rhythm guitar riffs of the main main musical verse.  There is a small lead guitar riff laced within the rhythm guitar arrangement that connects the verse to the pre-chorus.  At times Mark's lead vocal lines have a very subtle laid back melodic feel to them.  After the second pre-chorus there is a small breakdown section.  This song is very simple and one of the better songs on the CD. 
7.) "Further Down" - This track opens with a very simple rhythm guitar riff.  Mark's vocal lines of the pre-verse have a modern rock feel to them.  Connecting the pre-verse to the verse there are two different rhythm guitar riffs.  The band swaps the clean electric of the pre-verse for the heaviness of a distorted guitar for the verse.  As the song progresses through the arrangement it gets a little more intense.  At times underneath the main musical arrangements you can hear a small acoustic guitar bleeding through.  What's this I hear!?! A guitar solo?  After the first chorus there is a lead guitar. 
8.) "Leaving" - The intro to this track consisted of two different rhythm guitar arrangements.  There is a small lead guitar riff connecting the intro section to the pre-verse.  The vocal lines of the pre-verse have a small echo attached to them.  The rhythm guitar riff slows down leading into the musical verse.  Vocally Mark really shows his vocal talent on the vocal lines of this track.  There is a drastic rhythm change connecting the musical verse to the the musical chorus.  Mark's vocals gives the song a melodic feel.  The band changes the rhythm section once again for the outro.
9.) "A Game Of You" - This track opens with a verse arrangement instead of an intro section.  Instead of playing a standard drum line for this verse Jeff plays a rhythm on his tom-toms and snare.  The musical arrangement change of the chorus switched the song to a more intense music style.  The song goes back and forth like this through the whole arrangement.  Which can be very shocking if you are not expecting it.  After the first chorus there is a small lead guitar solo.  This lead guitar solo was heavily influenced by Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave).  After listen to this section again it is not really a solo but a few lead guitar licks strung together.  Scattered throughout the lyric lines are little modern metal vocal screams.  
10.) "Everything's Gone" -This track opens with an acoustical guitar arrangement.  The band used the same acoustic guitar arrangement for the verse as the intro section.  Five lyric lines into the pre-verse he band incorporates a small piano section.  Jeff used brushes on the drum line of he verse instead of sticks.  This gives the song a very subtle feel.  This is the first chorus on the release were you can actually hear a backing harmony.  There is a small secondary acoustic guitar riff connecting the first chorus and second chorus.    
11.) "March" - The rhythm guitar over the top of this intro section was influenced by Zakk Wylde.  The drum line of the intro section consisted of an opening and closing hi-hat rhythm.  Marks vocal lines had a very abstract feel to them.  This is due partly to the fact that a few of the lyric lines he is whispering.  There is a small backing harmony connecting the verse to the chorus.  Underneath the second verse there are a couple very cool tom-tom fills.   
12.) "Deeper" -This track opens with a clean electric guitar arrangement.  Connecting this clean guitar arrangement to the musical verse there is a very simple lead guitar rhythm riff.  The band kept the verse very simple.  There is a mall arrangement change underneath the pre-chorus.  I really liked the sixteenth-note rhythm change leading into the second chorus.  The outro section consisted of a drastic musical change were the band slowed the arrangement down.
13.) "Nocturnal" - This track opened with a modern metal intro section.  The band drops the distorted guitars of the intro section for a clean rhythm guitar sound.  The arrangement switches back and forth between clean guitar sounds and distorted guitar sounds.  The musical chorus consisted of two different rhythm guitar arrangements.  After the first chorus connecting the second verse there are several strange rhythm guitar effects.  Underneath the outro section Jeff switched from a standard drum line to a rhythm on his tom-toms. 
14.) "Bell Hooks" - This track opens with a very cool musical verse.  Underneath the musical verse Jeff plays a rhythm on his tom-toms instead of a standard drum pattern.  The rhythm guitar riffs of the verse had a very simple heavy metal feel to them. The underlining clean rhythm guitar sound worked very well with the distorted guitar of this track.

    'My Machine' is for essential fans of modern heavy metal.  If you fall within this category then you should really check this band out.