The band was formed by bassist Robb Flynn, after he had unsuccessful stints in various bands including Forbidden and Vio-Lence. After leaving the latter, he, Adam Duce (Bass), Logan Mader (Guitair) and Tony Constanza (drums), decided to start a band named Machinehead. The band claim they chose the name because “it sounded cool”.
After spending $800 to record a demo in a friend’s bedroom, the band was picked up by Roadrunner Records, and recorded their debut album “Burn My Eyes”. With the records aggressive themes, based on Flynn’s previous struggles in the music industry, the album was a success, selling 400,000 copies. With this release, the band cemented their status within the metal genre, and began touring frequently, including opening for Slayer on their European tour.
A second album followed in 1997, titled “The More Things Change…”, during the recording of the album, Logan Mader left the band following issues with substance abuse. Once again the band toured heavily after, notably playing that year’s Ozzfest.
1999 saw a change in direction for Machinehead, when they released their third LP, “The Burning Red”. This effort featured variations to the bands previous style, with the addition of rapping vocals following the boom of the nu-metal genre towards the new millennium. However this album and their fourth similar LP, “Supercharger” were not received well by fans, who wanted the band to return to their metal roots.
By the release of their sixth studio album, “The Blackening” in 2007, Machinehead had completed a full turnaround, achieving commercial and critical success. The release drew comparisons the Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” with many reviewers calling it a triumph for the metal genre. That year the band toured around the world, including a show at Download Festival. The band have been releasing further records and touring since.
Aside from Pantera, who I never got to see live, Machine Head are my favourite heavy metal band. The Californian thrash titans have always been loved more over here in the UK than in their native US, and singer-guitarist Robb Flynn has said they probably wouldn’t still be going even if it wasn’t for the support they’ve endured over here. I’ve seen them a bunch of times, the first being London’s sadly missed Astoria in 2003 when they were on something of a comeback with their Through the Ashes of Empires album. It was incredible to see them in a relatively intimate environment and songs such as ‘Imperium’ and ‘Descend The Shades Of Night’ were played with such intensity. Since then, Machine Head managed to re-hit the big time with their definitive album The Blackening; an album which finally managed to surpass their debut. Since the release of that record I’ve seen them at Brixton Academy, Hammersmith Apollo (supporting Slipknot) and Wembley Arena, among other shows, and there is no doubt in my mind that they are the most consistent live metal band working today, set apart by their killer riffs and Flynn’s distinctive vocals. Hearing audiences scream back the choruses to ‘Halo’ or ‘Davidian’ is genuinely spine-tingling and there is no better ringleader than Flynn, who can get even the most docile of crowds to form frantic circle pits. Can’t wait to see them again.
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