Catharsis is the ninth album by American heavy metal band Machine Head, released on January 26, 2018. Musical style: In November 2017 ahead of the album's release, frontman Robb Flynn explained that the album's sound would be less heavy than previous efforts, with emphasis on being "very grooving and very melodic." As a result, the songs are more structurally simplistic as well as being shorter, an approach that Flynn also tried to incorporate into the lyrics, finding hip-hop and hardcore punk as influences: I don't listen to a whole lot of metal — I'm being straight with you. To me, a lot of it doesn't interest me, a lot of the lyrics don't interest me. I listen to a lot of hip-hop. I grew up on a lot of hardcore, punk rock, hip-hop, and I just love... Love it or hate it, I love just the fucking direct, ignorant-ass lyrics of hip-hop. It's very clear, it's very blunt; there are no metaphors. Metal's full of metaphors. We've been singing about the same shit now for 30 fucking years and I get a little bored with it. And with this record, I really wanted to just strip it down and make really clear, really simple, really blunt... Especially my choruses, just really clear... Like, you know what the fuck I'm talking about exactly when I'm talking about it. And it's cool. Like real vulgar language and coarse language, and it's a good vibe, man. Reception: Critical reception of the album was mixed. In a review by Jay H. Gorania for Blabbermouth.net he wrote, "Catharsis is a bold