Hmmm.
See, first off, I don't have a reflexive hatred of numetal or things touched by non-European influences. So I didn't mind that song at all, stylistically. It was kinda... well. Hmmm.
I'm not a big follower of Machine Head, so my perception may be off-base. On the other hand, sometimes distance can help you see more clearly... and ignorance is clearly the beginning of wisdom.
So, I wonder if Machine Head - or the lead singer at least - is just a guy with a really wide, varied musical taste. He hears stuff he likes, and incorporates it into his music. For example, in that last video, the only real difference in the vocals was the slower pace and distortion (organic, of course
). If you notice, the subject matter isn't that much different, and the rhythm and pitches of the words are much more rap-like than the more fluid (in a sense) lines of death metal, or the more staccato lines of hardcore/metalcore.
My $0.02 anyway.
Perhaps a way to look at Machine Head is not as a bastion of a certain sub-genre, but a constant experiment in what's going on in heavy music.
