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 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 Krys on May 16, 2001.

In God Forbid’s four-year career, "Determination" marks their first album on Century Media and second overall after the "Reject The Sickness" which was released on the small label 9 Volt Records. On the promo package vocalist Byron Davis says "We want to set a standard for the state of New Jersey for being heavy and metal", well let’s see what those standards are...

God Forbid falls in line with a lot of angry new metal outfits that unfortunately won’t stand out from the crowd simply because there is too many of them playing a very similar style of music. Playing a combination of technical and melodic yet harsh and extreme metal, their style reminds me the most of Shadows Fall.

As far as the music goes, I think the skills are there but they need someone with good composing talent. There are a lot of good riffs but also a lot of moments that sound more like fillers rather than thought out compositions. Either I’m too picky or "Determination" sounds more like a collection of raw single pieces rather than a complete unit.

Also by mixing too many styles (thrash, death and black among others) they might have a hard time finding loyal fans which most of the time hold to either one of them rather than just a combination of these. I’m not saying that mixing different styles is bad I just got this feeling that God Forbid is still in the process of finding the right path in what they want to do and at the current stage too many influences make their music confusing and hard to grasp. By going many times in the same song from extreme beats to almost melancholy parts, it feels like being held under water than pulled out for a few seconds just to be drowned again. That sort of switch-off keeps coming up again and again throughout the whole album. You can’t say their music is not aggressive or well executed but compositions simply lack the enthusiasm. These critiques are all from the recorded standpoint because God Forbid is one of those bands that is actually much better on the stage than in the studio where energy and intensity is simply radiating from their performance.

Bottom Line: Solid release but nothing extraordinary or you haven’t heard before. I would recommend to anyone first listen to a few samples before buying this CD.

Rating: 5 out of 10