Review by Adam M on March 14, 2017.

Hark brings the groove on Machinations.  The songs here just ooze a mid-paced groove that is impossible to deny.  The tracks have that stoner feel that makes for a nice album to headbang along with.  Hark are similar to Kyuss and the like, but make their presence known through a sound that has its own niche. 

The gyrations are simply irresistible and pull the listener into their grasp.  This has the same psychedelic effect that Kyuss has and is a worthy thing to behold.  The tracks here are catchy and hold your attention throughout.  The songs rollick along at a pace that is worthy of the stoner genre.  Though it has elements of the stoner genre, there is a certain traditional vibe here that separates the band from something like Orange Goblin.  Though the band has that mid-paced groove, there is another side to the band that gives them more depth and manages to elevate them above the stoner genre, but to a more varied level.  The overall effect is a nice one and has the band given its distinct identity.  The problem with the album is that the band doesn’t completely achieve the well-rounded nature they set out to attain.  Some of the parts lack that element of power to grab the listener and make them fully entranced in the songs.  They are catchy, but not overly memorable as well.  The entirety of the issue can be summed up in a less than stellar overall vibe. 

Still, Hark have created an album that gyrates with the best of them.  The songs have that ability to grind along at a nice pace that is very appropriate for the songs.  Fans of bands like Kyuss will have lots to like with this disc as it does a good job bringing a similar sound within a fairly short runtime.  

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 9, 2019.

"Mercy" is the name of the first track, but Blackie Lawless knows no mercy. Welcome to Dominator, another album by the one-man-show called W.A.S.P. Yes, the master of his own circus made a few experiments during his career, but here it becomes again quite obvious that this man is caught in his own song patterns. "Mercy" is a good song, no doubt about it. A casual yet effective riff creates a slightly dark atmosphere and it goes without saying that the song boasts with an extremely good flow. Not to mention the strong vocals which are always able to make the difference. However, don't think that there is any new element, any unexpected detail or something like that. Lawless does what he almost always did, no more, no less, and he does it in a good way. Take it or leave it, but don't come to the conclusion that he is challenging himself in any way. The dude rocks within the frontiers of his own comfort zone. However, I tend to take it due to the catchy chorus and the coherent overall picture.

Good news, the opener is not the only strong metal rocker on this album. "The Burning Man" or "Teacher" go in the same direction and in particular "Heaven's Blessed" sounds the alarm. W.A.S.P. prove evidence that they can break out of quite commercial frames and deliver songs with a spiny appearance. Too bad that Lawless sees no sense in making an album with this kind of songs exclusively. His semi-ballads like "Take Me Up" give the listener a more than sufficient portion of schmaltz. I freely admit that the song is not really despicable in terms of melody and atmosphere, they walk on trodden paths and integrate as many stereotypes as possible. As mentioned before, I like the voice of Blackie L., but sometimes his whining and lamenting lacks authenticity. I don't think that millionaires should sing about their broken heart or something like that. Come on, dudes, it's easy to cry as long as you are rich. Nevertheless, Lawless cannot be blamed for delivering shitty numbers here, even though it remains a mystery to me why he offers a reprise instead of another new song - and by the way, why is "Heaven's Hung in Black" introduced by the melody of "When Johnny Is Coming Home Again"?

Every now and then, a faceless number has conquered a place on Dominator. The second piece is a high-speed number, not in objective terms but compared with the catalogue of the group. Unfortunately, the one-tone-riff fails to push "Long, Long Way to Go" on a high level. Once again, I am not speaking about a throwaway track, but it seems to be written in a loveless manner. The closer, a wannabe-good-times rocker, also does not give me much. On the other hand, the production scores with density, evenness and maturity. And what about Lawless himself? His portion of music is predictable, but predictably solid or even good - and his mentality is reflected by these lines in the booklet: "I love my country, but I'm scared to death of its government. Nothing I have ever written is truer." I am confused, because I could not express it better myself, although I live in another country than Lawless. Maybe this situation was the real reason why he wrote a song called "Mercy". He and me, we have one thing in common: we dominate nothing.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10