Up until now, all we knew was that Machine Head would be releasing Catharsis, the successor to 2014's Bloodstone & Diamonds, sometime in early 2018. The California groove titans have now lifted the veil on the new record, which boasts 15 tracks, including the newly released "Beyond the Pale," and is set for release on Jan. 26 through Nuclear Blast.

Twin harmonies arrive from the distance, foreshadowing an element which will present itself later in the song after crushing pendular grooves lurch and stomp and elephantine rhythms march forward. Lyrically, "Beyond the Pale" embraces a chest-thumping, defiant and prideful attitude in existing outside the mainstream, a message conveyed through Robb Flynn's rigid cadences and soaring choral delivery.

“I feel like metal could really infiltrate the mainstream with this album. And it needs to... now more than ever," comments Flynn. "A lot of consideration went into making these songs more identifiable to a wider audience. Simplifying ideas, simplifying hooks, really concentrating on story-telling as opposed to ‘brutal poetry’ or whatever. And while I’d love to say it was all some grand plan, there was no ‘plan.’” You never know where you’re going to end up whenever you start writing a record... you just write... but I tell ya what... we ended up with a landmark here. Whenever you finish an album, you always feel proud, but this time... we’ve got something really special. We can feel it. We know it. Catharsis could really elevate our genre."

Pre-orders for the album are available now at the Nuclear Blast webstore and the artwork and track listing can both be viewed below.

Machine Head will launch their tour in support of Catharsis one day before the album's release on Jan. 25 in Phoenix, Ariz., wrapping it up well over one month later in Seattle, Wash. on March 7. The trek will be in the "evening with" style, featuring no supporting acts as the group intends on playing between two-and-a-half to three hours a night. Go here to see if Machine Head are stopping at a city near you.

Machine Head, Catharsis Artwork + Track Listing

Nuclear Blast
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01. "Volatile"
02. "Catharsis"
03. "Beyond the Pale"
04. "California Bleeding"
05. "Triple Beam"
06. "Kaleidoscope"
07. "Bastards"
08. "Hope Begets Hope"
09. "Screaming at the Sun"
10. "Behind a Mask"
11. "Heavy Lies the Crown"
12. "Psychotic"
13. "Grind You Down"
14. "Razorblade Smile"
15. "Eulogy"

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