You’ll have to hand over a fake name and fake email address to watch “Machine Gun,” but if you’re digging Third like we are, it’ll be worth the effort. Nothing especially innovative about the footage, but such a good song it hardly matters. In fact, the simplicity works in the video’s favor: The grainy footage is drowned in the same bluish tint as the ghostly, iconic album art, and for all the folks asking why bands don’t do more performance-based videos, this finds the Portisheads together in a room, concentrating on the ingredients each adds to the dubbed out “Machine Gun.” Note the intense concentration. And when the chilly synth line rolls over the High Places-on-ice drum triggers. You can watch it at Portishead.com, but maybe put on a warm jacket first.

UPDATE: Now it’s on YouTube, no fake ID necessary…

Comments (12)
  1. rob z  |   Posted on Mar 19th, 2008

    i wish they could’ve put in the sweet synth earlier than in the last 30 seconds.

  2. please tell me this isn’t the final version of the song. i’m all for death marches and all, but… ugh.

  3. wow, i’ve conciously avoided all things that have the words ‘new’ and ‘portishead’ because i wanted the whole album experience but this is amazing.

    if this isn’t the final version then yeah, that synth should be all over the place

  4. anyone else get a strong Brad Fiedel vibe from this track? That ending synth is the clincher.

  5. allenk  |   Posted on Mar 19th, 2008

    the synth reminds me of Terminator.

  6. turkey butt  |   Posted on Mar 19th, 2008

    those wacky portisheads! so “minimalist” it hurts!

    good undertones though. i think i heard this in a nightmare once.

  7. The version on the album is pretty much the same thing, just more produced with a few little extras here and there. This version is pretty true to form. I really like it… goon on ya, Portishead!

  8. turkey butt  |   Posted on Mar 20th, 2008

    listening again today- i’m getting into it more. reminds me of The Normal for some reason. pretty creepy.

  9. gimme  |   Posted on Mar 20th, 2008

    be great to see Growing open for them, be an interesting show, portishead singer can do some improv banshee wails

  10. erickbasss  |   Posted on Mar 22nd, 2008

    its portishead…
    its the black box

  11. BORRRRRRING, sounds like my Ghost record..

  12. donald von fabio  |   Posted on Mar 31st, 2008

    i agree with treznor – these guys are kinda boring. 4.14 minutes of life has been sucked away.

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