Been listening to rock for 25 yrs and I can say this is an excellent album. Of the two lynam albums this one is slightly harder and has a little more sleaze sound where as their second one, tragic city symphony has just a little more of todays radio rock sound. I like TCS but slave to the machine is better. You would never know this is a three man band. Great guitar (just one) and the songs have nice hooks with backing vocals. The songs have enough crunch to rock you and the hooks stick in your head. I bought 5 cds(both of the lynams)and got them all the same day. Stuck them all in my cd player and this is the one I keep going back too. It does what rock n roll is supposed to do, entertain you.