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THE END MACHINE
The Quantum Phase

Frontiers (2024)
Rating: 8.5/10

Armed with a new singer in Girish Pradhan (Girish And The Chronicles), who replaces Robert Mason, hard rock supergroup The End Machine – consisting of guitarist George Lynch (ex-Dokken), bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner / ex-Dokken) and drummer Steve Brown (son of ex-Dokken skinsman Mick Brown) – releases its third full-length album and it’s a scorcher.

As one would expect from another Lynch project this album crackles and crunches, and struts and swaggers, mostly due to the driving guitar sound. However, it’s fair to say that Pradhan brings a more subtle side to the band, especially on ‘Burning Man’ where his tones are smoky accompaniments to the bluesy sways.

There is a lot of variety on offer with this outing; flashes of Dokken are certainly present but there are elements of Black Sabbath on ‘Black Hole Extinction’ before the shifts into mid-tempo and then Lynch’s fiery solo. It’s a fine way to open the record and those dynamics pretty much continue throughout as Lynch provides sludge-laden riffs complemented by stony bass lines and galloping percussion.

There are infectious harmonies littering this album; ‘Stranger In The Mirror’ pulsates with a cool bass line before the wistful pre-chorus hits. Pradhan has a smooth style that soars above the chunky, sizzling riffage, but he can clearly turn his voice to any groove as the bluesy ‘Hell Or High Water’ showcases alongside the mid-tempo rocker ‘Stand Up’ and the breezy ‘Time’, which is not far removed from Extreme in their pomp.

Naturally, and as with any Lynch outing, the listener will get drawn to the licks, but what I really enjoy about George’s bands is the fact they remain a unit, rather than just being passengers to his taps. There is a Badlands vibe about ‘Shattered Glass Heart’ which features some great bass work from Pilson, but as does every other track whether the band is harnessing The Beatles, Van Halen or Led Zeppelin.

This is the sort of versatile rock n’ roll that would have been criminally overlooked had it been issued in the early 90s and to an extent such hip n’ happening slickness remains underrated today, but if it’s a mix of the downright dirty, the funky or the heavyweight you crave then let George Lynch and co. smother you in the warmth of their many layers.

Neil Arnold

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