Last year Capitol Records dropped Hurt from their roster, which proves how they failed to realize the band's potential. For some reason they promoted them as a metal group, which the band clearly never was - I still remember how thrown off I was by the promo sheet of Hurt's Vol. 1. For those, who haven't heard Hurt's music before, they're one of the more creative rock groups of our time. Their fifth release "Goodbye to the Machine" was just recently published by their manager's independent record label, Amusement Recordings and it has managed to stay in active rotation on my CD player for over a month already.

Besides the new label, the band's approach to recording has changed. Hurt recorded this album using analog gear instead of layering each song with hundreds of tracks like most pop productions do. The result is a very honest sounding record that still has the distinctive Hurt flavour intact - heartfelt lyrics and singing, emotionate songs, memorable hooks, exquisite violin sections and at times surprising song structures. If anything, it seems being dropped by Capitol Records served at least as a good inspiration for the band since the quality of material on Goodbye to the Machine is really awe-inspiring. The album never gets repetitive and shows how Hurt is able to keep on evolving on their albums. Only the bonus track at the end dents slightly the otherwise almost perfect rock record.

Production on this record has been handled very professionally as the sounds are both warm and assertive. Overall, Hurt's latest offering is an amazing album that seriously belongs to any music enthusiastic's collection. Especially fans of Seether will be delighted to notice Shaun Morgan's performance on World Ain't Right.

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- MAGE (May, 4th 2009)

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LINE-UP:
Loren, J.: Vocals, Guitar, Violin, Banjo Spatola, Paul: Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Dobro, Piano Mohr, Rek: Bass Sciancalepore, Louie: Drums
Producer:	Unavailable
Mixing by:	Unavailable
Mastering by:	Unavailable

	TRACKLIST:
	01. Got Jealous 02. Pandora 03. Wars 04. World Ain't Right 05. Sweet Delilah 06. 1331 07. Role Martyr X 08. Well 09. Pills 10. Dreams Away 11. Fighting Tao 12. That (Such A Thing) Length: 54:07