As an avid fan of the band Comedy of Errors I was particularly excited when Machinary’s new, self-titled EP landed on my desk. Like COE, Machinary hail from Scotland and their credentials are impressive, including three current/previous COE members: Bruce Levick (drums), Mark Spalding (guitars) and Hew Montgomery (also of Abel Ganz and Grand Tour) on keyboards. Lead vocals are provided by none other than Euan Lowson, front man of Pallas early in their Neo-prog revival heydays (think Arrive Alive and The Sentinel) and the team is completed by Alan Kerr on bass. This is Machinary’s second release following 2023’s Are We A Rock Band, Or What? and the first to feature Mark and Euan.
The EP features four comparatively short tracks, with music and lyrics provided by Mark. The opener Why Do I? catapults us straight into the action, its raw energy and powerful riffs brilliantly showcasing the band’s rock credentials. Does this sound anything like Comedy of Errors? – most emphatically not! Euan’s voice, complemented by Mark’s harmony vocals, still delivers all the drama and charisma of his Pallas days, while Bruce’s dynamic drumming and Alan’s vigorous bass provide the powerhouse that stokes the rhythmic fires. Mark’s full-blooded guitar tones command centre stage during the lively instrumental episodes, joining Hew’s keyboards to riff exuberantly on the song’s main musical themes. Like sheet lightning the track flashes with transitory brilliance and is over almost before it began.
The lilting waltz-like rhythms and seductive vocal harmonies of I Will Take Your Hand create a more introspective mood. I am intrigued by the tension between the defiant positivity of the lyrics and the poignant minor key harmonies that reinforce the pleading intensity of Euan’s vocals. Layers of dreamily chiming guitar interweave hypnotically above a nebulous haze of keyboards while the rhythm section firmly but discreetly drive this haunting track onwards to its wistful conclusion.
Always is a moving portrayal of grief and loss, and features a graduated build from the bleakness of the opening verse to an impassioned conclusion. The solid four-in-a-bar of the intro provides a backdrop for a bravely optimistic melody with a cinematic sweep. Mark’s syncopated counter-melody introduces a note of restlessness and the harmonies of the verse pulse ambiguously between major and minor. The fluttering keyboard figure and urgent bass in the pre-chorus (And you want to) reinforce the passion in Euan’s vocals while the addition of harmony vocals and busier instrumental textures in the full chorus (As the night robs your sleep) ratchets the emotion up another notch. The cinematic melody from the opening reappears in combination with the fervent optimism of the chorus to create a stirring climax, inspiring an ecstatically soaring display of guitaristic fireworks, closing the track in a blaze of affirmation.
The final track, appropriately entitled Take a Bow, offers an acerbic depiction of the life of an artist, constantly in the public eye yet secretly lonely, smiling through his tears and desperately craving love and fame. The dissonantly grinding opening riff dominates the song, never relinquishing its grip but steadily growing in intensity as more layers of guitar and keys are gradually superimposed. The verses with their more melodic emphasis offer some respite but even here Bruce’s insistent drums and Alan’s deeply throbbing bass bring a sense of restless unease. At the conclusion the grinding riff shows no mercy, brutally condensing the rhythms and intensifying the violence as it closes in for the kill.
These four tracks are the first venture for this new incarnation of Machinary, and after just one year the rapport between the musicians is already turning this band into so much more than the sum of its parts. Euan’s dramatic and emotional vocals are a perfect match for the dynamic energy that pulses through each track like an electrical charge, and the brilliance of Mark’s guitar playing, supported by the compelling rhythm section, lifts the sound to the next level. I would have liked to hear more of Hew’s keyboards, but hopefully this treat is being held in reserve for the forthcoming full album which will feature creative collaboration from all five band members. Until that feast arrives, why not whet your appetite with this intriguing sample of delights to come?
TRACK LISTING
01. Why Do I (4:20)
02. I Will Take Your Hand (5:12)
03. Always (6:09)
04. Take A Bow (5:01)
Total Time – 20:42
MUSICIANS
Euan Lowson – Vocals
Mark Spalding – Guitar, Backing Vocals
Hew Montgomery – Keyboards
Alan Kerr – Bass, Backing Vocals
Bruce Levick – Drums
ADDITONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 30th August 2025
