AMG Review of Goodbye to the Machine

Greg Prato
All Music Guide

Hurt may be one of the few rock bands that can appeal equally to fans of Creed and Tool. Don't believe this assessment? The proof is all over their 2009 comeback release, Goodbye to the Machine. After being dropped by Capitol Records in 2008 (despite building a sizeable fan base and scoring some moderate radio airplay on rock stations), it appeared as though the band may just pack it in. But much to the delight of their audience, J. Loren Wince and company have soldiered on -- signing on with the independent Amusement record label. And regarding the earlier comparison, all you have to do is listen to the first two tracks, as "Got Jealous" contains Scott Stapp-like vocal-isms, while "Pandora" features Tool-like noodling as far as the music goes. From there on, Hurt alternates between the former approach ("War") and the latter ("Fighting Tao"). And as an added treat to entice fans to purchase the CD version, a code is included in the packaging that allows the buyer to download bonus songs not included on the album.