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[[''Link title''''Italic text'']]
{{this|the band|Machine head (disambiguation)}}
== MACHINE HEAD SUX :) ==
{{Infobox Musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| Name = Machine Head
| Img =
| Img_capt =
| Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixles -->
| Landscape = Yes
| Background = group_or_band
| Origin = [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[California]], [[United States]]<ref name="Mystrands">{{cite web| url=http://www.mystrands.com/artist/18457/biography |title=Machine Head Artist Biography |publisher=''Mystrands.com'' |accessdate=2007-11-21}}</ref>
| Genre = <!-- PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE GENRES WITHOUT DISCUSSING IT FIRST ON THE TALK PAGE -->[[Heavy metal]]<br />[[Groove metal]]<ref name="Encyclopaedia Metallum">{{cite web | url = http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=335 | title = Encyclopaedia Metallum entry | publisher = Metal-Archives.com}}</ref><ref name="Rockdetector">{{cite web | url = http://www.rockdetector.com/artist,5471.sm | title = Rockdetector entry | publisher = Rockdetector.com}}</ref><br />[[Nu metal]] (mid-period)<ref name="All Music Guide">{{cite web | url = http://wm05.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wbfpxqualdke | title = AllMusic Entry | publisher = allmusic.com}}</ref>
| Years_active = 1992–present
| Label = [[Roadrunner Records|Roadrunner]]
| Associated_acts = [[Ill Niño]]<br />[[Soulfly]]<br />[[Vio-lence]]<br />[[Forbidden (band)|Forbidden]]
| URL = [http://machinehead1.com machinehead1.com]
| Current_members = [[Robert Flynn|Robb Flynn]]<br />[[Adam Duce]]<br />[[Dave McClain (drummer)|Dave McClain]]<br />[[Phil Demmel]]
| Past_members = [[Chris Kontos (musician)|Chris Kontos]]<br />[[Logan Mader]]<br /> [[Ahrue Luster]]<br />Tony Costanza
}}
'''Machine Head''' is an [[United States|American]] [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band from [[Oakland, California|Oakland]], [[California]] formed in 1992. The band comprises founder and frontman [[Robert Flynn]], guitarist [[Phil Demmel]], bassist [[Adam Duce]] and drummer [[Dave McClain (drummer)|Dave McClain]]. Since its formation, Machine Head has released six studio albums, one live album, and DVD.


==
== History ==
=== Formation and ''Burn My Eyes'' ===
== Headline text ==

[http://www.example.com link title] ==
Machine Head was founded in 1992 by former [[Vio-lence]] guitarist [[Robb Flynn]] in Oakland, CA. Beginning in a rehearsal room they shared with four punk rock bands, the band played its first show in August 1992 at a house (kegger) party in Oakland, with subsequent shows occurring in Las Vegas, L.A., Berkeley and San Francisco. Members at the time consisted of Robb Flynn, [[Adam Duce]], [[Logan Mader]], and [[Tony Costanza]]. Gaining a reputation for as a live band to be reckoned with as well as for being rough around the edges (they would be banned from three clubs in the Bay Area for fighting{{Fact|date=December 2007}}) they played shows with a diverse selection of bands from [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]], [[Fear Factory]], [[Clutch (band)|Clutch]], and [[Deftones]], to [[Possessed (band)|Possessed]], [[Biohazard (band)|Biohazard]] and [[Testament (band)|Testament]]. After recruiting Chris Kontos on drums (Attitude Adjustment, Grinch) they would record a demo in a friend's home studio, and would go on to sell over 3,000 worldwide. They released their first album through Roadrunner Records, the highly influential ''[[Burn My Eyes]]'', produced and mixed by [[Colin Richardson]], on [[August 8]], [[1994]]. Credited with being one of the first bands to modernize thrash metal, as well as pioneering the combining of melodic "clean" vocals with harsh vocals, and launching the beginnings of metalcore, as well as the grooving rhythms that would inspire many nu-metal bands.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}

Machine Head's first tour in August 1994 would be with Napalm Death (whom they would share a bus with) and then-labelmates Obituary. The band would be asked to support [[Slayer]] for two months in the UK and Europe where their album had charted at #26 in the UK, and #44 in Germany. It would not break the Billboard Top 200 in the US, selling barely more than 1,100 copies its first week. UK Metal magazine ''[[Kerrang]]'' gave the album their top rating, being 5 "K's", with many international metal magazines giving equal praise to the album.<ref>http://www.machinehead1.com/news.html</ref> <!-- Kerry King and Robb Flynn have a feud and Kerry denies ever praising Burn My Eyes -->. The album would be panned in the US by the metal press with band members stating that one review was so bad, it ended by saying "Machine Head, pretty good, if you never heard of Prong".

The first song on the album, "[[Davidian (song)|Davidian]]", features the lyric "Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast". Subsequently the [[music video|video]] was banned from MTV America due to its release date being very soon after the [[Waco Siege]] which it was apparently describing.<ref>http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/machine_head_bio.htm</ref> Ironically the video would receive widespread and even daytime play on MTV in the UK and Europe where it would launch Machine Head's career overseas. A US Tour would follow with [[Slayer]] and [[Biohazard]].<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=30543</ref> would help establish the band in the underground. Flynn would appear with Slayer performing the song "Witching Hour" in Slayer's - ''[[Live Intrusion]]'' video. Appearances at Dynamo in front of 130,000 people, Donington Monsters Of Rock and a European headline tour (bringing singer Peter Dovling's pre-The Haunted band Mary Beats Jane and Meshugguah on their first ever tours), and playing the exact same venues they had just supported Slayer in. US success would be a ways off, Drummer Chris Kontos would be fired, and a headline tour of the US with [[Stuck Mojo]] and Wickerman as support with fill-in drummer Will Carroll (Old Grandad, later-Unsane) would be described as, and nick named, the Disastour with average attendance being 150 people, attendance highs of 500, and several attendance lows of 35 people. The band would play their final US show for Burn My Eyes on [[December 19]], [[1995]], at the Troubador in L.A., where after their set, Los Angeles Sherrifs removed them from their tour bus after the bus driver accused them of being filthy, smoking too much weed, and threatening his life.{{Fact|date=December 2007}}

=== ''The More Things Change...'' and ''The Burning Red'' ===

After [[Chris Kontos (musician)|Chris Kontos]] was fired, the drumming services of [[Dave McClain (drummer)|Dave McClain]] formerly of [[Sacred Reich]] were acquired. They then released the follow up album, ''[[The More Things Change...]]'', once again produced and mixed by [[Colin Richardson]], in 1997, and would asked to be apart of the 1st official Ozzfest alongside Pantera, Black Sabbath, and [[Marilyn Manson]]. Other US support tours would include [[Corrosion Of Conformity]], [[Sevendust]] and main support to Pantera. Co-headline appearance at the Dynamo Festival in Holland, and US and European headline tours with Napalm Death, Skinlab, Coal Chamber, and Snot as the support. [[Logan Mader]] unexpectedly left in the spring of 1998. He was then replaced by [[Ahrue Luster]] (Now of [[Ill Niño]])<ref>http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?Mode=Archive&Date=9/12/2003</ref> who worked with the band on the third album ''[[The Burning Red]]'' (1999). This album was a sign of a change for Machine Head, the band deciding to experiment more rather than release another album that would be seen as just a shadow in the footsteps of ''Burn My Eyes''.

Introducing lesser known influences such as [[The Cure]], and Robb adding more of his [[rapping]] techniques in this album alongside the roar he used on earlier releases. The song "Devil With The Kings Card" is based on Logan Mader's leaving of the band.<ref>http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/30e07.html</ref>. It would be their 2nd biggest album to date, with the band co-headlining with Coal Chamber on the Livin' La Vida Loco Tour with Slipknot and Amen opening. Several headline tours followed in the US, Europe, and Japan, with support coming from One Minute Silence, Revellie, Primer 55, Bat Cave, Yellow Machine Gun, and Videodrone, plus a festival run supporting Slayer, including an appearance at the infamous Roskilde festival where the Pearl Jam tragedy occurred the same day, and a co-headline slot atop The Lost Weekend Festival. The album did, however, receive some backlash from fans who weren't pleased with their change in style - some even accused the band of "selling out" and following musical trends ([[nu-metal]] and [[rap metal]] were becoming increasingly popular in 1999).<ref>http://www.fhmonline.com/articles-4603.asp</ref>

=== ''Supercharger'' ===

Machine Head released ''[[Supercharger (album)|Supercharger]]'' on October 2nd, 2001, 3 weeks after Sept 11th, and, in spite of one of the worst American tragedies in history, would chart at #115 (higher than ''The More Things Change...''). The video for the song "Crashing Around You" (filmed 1 month before [[9-11]]) was banned by MTV due to its images of collapsing buildings around the times of WTC collapse strike.<ref>http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/machine_head_bio.htm</ref>
Co-headlining with inaugural Road Rage tour with Fear Factory (with Chimaira and Ill Nino opening) which began in the difficult 6 days following Sept 11th, would be a challenge for the band. The release of Supercharger would be proceeded by overseas tours supporting Slayer in Australia, Japan, and Korea.

By 2002, Machine Head had sold over 1.3 million albums worldwide, and overall "Supercharger" (Produced by Johnny K, and mixed by Colin Richardson) would go on to sell an impressive 250,000 copies worldwide. Despite a media backlash, fan support never wavered and the band would sell out clubs and small theaters in the US, and large halls and theaters abroad, including rooms in the UK such as the 5,000 capacity [[Brixton Academy]]. In light of the Sept 11th tragedy, nearly every single touring act in the music industry would cancel their tours abroad for fear of terrorism, with Machine Head being the sole band not to cancel their European tour, stating that they felt that was exactly what terrorists wanted. With Ill Nino as support, the band embarked on an extremely successful UK / European run, but unhappy with the support they were getting from their record label, once their US headline tour for the album had been completed in March 2002 (with Darwin's Waiting Room, and 3rd Strike as support), Machine Head and [[Roadrunner Records]] mutually decided to sever ties. To fulfill their obligations, the band released "Hellalive" (also mixed by Colin Richardson) a live album which was a recorded at a sold out [[Brixton Academy]], in [[London]] set.<ref>http://www.musicomh.com/gigs/machine-head.htm</ref>

=== ''Through the Ashes of Empires'' ===

In May 2002 Ahrue Luster left the band and was temporarily replaced by [[Phil Demmel]],<ref name="Metalunderground">{{cite web| url=http://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=9004 |title=Interview With Machine Head's Phil Demmel |publisher=''Metalunderground.com'' |date=[[2007-08-12]] |accessdate=2007-11-21}}</ref> who played in thrash band [[Vio-lence]] alongside Flynn. Demmel played some festival shows with Machine Head (including a headlining slot at the [[With Full Force]] festival in Germany). Then with Phil not being able to commit to the band, he and Machine Head parted ways. The remainder of the band started writing songs for the next album (eventually titled Through the Ashes of Empires), hoping to get signed to a record label. They recorded a 4 song demo featuring the songs Descend The Shades Of Night (a different 3 1/2 minute version), All Falls Down, and Bite The Bullet and included a slightly more radio-friendly song called "Pins and Needles" (which was never recorded by Machine Head but was included on the Roadrunner United CD under the name "Army Of The Sun"). Nearly every [[record label]] in the music industry rejected the four song demo.

However in March 2003, the band's spirits rose when Phil rejoined the group full time,<ref name="Metalunderground"/> and Roadrunner International (Europe and the rest of the world) came to the band with an offer. Then the band signed the international deal, and started recording ''Through the Ashes Of Empires''. The band then decided to go back to Roadrunner USA hoping to be signed (which they eventually were), and ''Through The Ashes of Empires'' (Robert Flynn producing for the 1st time, and Colin Richardson mixing once again) was finally released in Europe and around the world (except North America) on [[October 28]], [[2003]]. Outside the US, the album was praised unanimously in nearly all musical publications (a notable absentee from the favourable reviews was Britain's influential ''[[Kerrang!]]'' magazine, who initially gave the album 2 K's but have since claimed in articles that they awarded 5 K's), and then it created a buzz in America.

Roadrunner USA came back to Machine Head and made them an offer, and they signed with the label. To make up for the American fans having to wait so long for the new album, they recorded a track called "Seasons Wither" which had not appeared on the European release. ''[[Through the Ashes of Empires]]''. It received significant publicity due to the success of the song "[[Imperium (song)|Imperium]]" and what was seen by the fans and media as a massive return to form - both musically and lyrically. As part of this revival, Machine Head headlined the "True Metal" stage at 2005's [[Wacken Open Air]] festival in front of 40,000 fans - their biggest headline show to date.<ref>http://www.machinehead1.com/diary.html</ref> ''Through the Ashes of Empires'' debuted on the Billboard Charts in US at #88 -- an excellent showing for any metal band, but especially strong considering that the album had been available to purchase by import, and available on illegal internet sites for a full 6 months prior to the US release date.<ref name="Billboard">{{cite web| url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=37027&model.vnuAlbumId=899442 |title=Artist Chart History - Machine Head |publisher=''Billboard.com'' |accessdate=2007-11-21}}</ref>

On [[October 11]], [[2005]], Machine Head released their first ever DVD: ''Elegies,'' greatly enhanced by master lighting designer (and tour manager), Mark Workman. The DVD contained concert footage from the sold out Brixton Academy show in December 2004, and various extras, including their most recent music videos (of 2004) and a documentary on the Making of "Through The Ashes" which detailed many of the struggles the band encountered during the 2 years they were unsigned. In the DVD's first week of release, "Elegies" reached the #13 spot in US<ref>http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=383&cfgn=Videos&cfn=Billboard+Comprehensive+Music+Videos&ci=3062015&cdi=8462966&cid=10%2F29%2F2005</ref> and the #6 spot in UK music-related DVD sales.

As well on [[October 11]], [[2005]], Roadrunner Records released an album to commemorate the 25 years of the label's storied history. Four of the songs on the album, ''Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions'', were written by Robert Flynn. Both Phil Demmel and Dave McClain receive minor writing credits, and Logan Mader came on board as a producer of a different track, also providing the melodic harmonics on the track "The End". ''Roadrunner United'' was a project conceived by the label to showcase the talent of the dozens of bands signed to Roadrunner Records. There were 4 "Captains" assigned to write songs for the album: Robb Flynn of Machine Head, [[Dino Cazares]] ex-[[Fear Factory]], [[Matt Heafy]] of [[Trivium (band)|Trivium]], and [[Joey Jordison]] of [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]].<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/RoadrunnerUnited/</ref> Each "Captain" had to choose which artists were to participate in the recording of their songs, and they were to be primary producers. The album saw an all-star cast of artists from such bands as: [[The Misfits (band)|The Misfits]], [[Killswitch Engage]], [[36 Crazyfists]], [[Sepultura]], [[Soulfly]], [[Slipknot (band)|Slipknot]], [[Cradle of Filth]], [[Type O Negative]], [[Fear Factory]], [[Front Line Assembly]], [[Coal Chamber]], [[Ill Niño]], [[Vision of Disorder]], [[Trivium (band)|Trivium]], [[Opeth]], [[Stone Sour]], [[King Diamond (band)|King Diamond]] and [[Deicide (band)|Deicide]], among others.

They contributed a studio recorded and produced cover of [[Metallica]]'s "Battery" for ''Kerrang!'' magazine's 'Remastered', a tribute to Metallica's seminal album ''[[Master of Puppets]]''. The cover was widely hailed as one of the best tributes.

=== ''The Blackening'' ===

March 26th (Europe/Rest of the World) and 28th (USA), 2007 saw the release of the band's sixth studio album "''[[The Blackening]]''",<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=56646</ref> which was produced by [[Robert Flynn]] and mixed by [[Colin Richardson]]. Hailed unanimously as a modern masterpiece, with several credible publications calling it the greatest album of their career, and others going so far as to call it "The Master Of Puppets of this generation". KerrangI would give it 5K's (their first 5K's since Burn My Eyes) and Metal Hammer UK would give it 10 out of 10 the highest award ever issued to the band by the magazine.

Machine Head began 2007 by opening for [[Lamb Of God (band)|Lamb Of God]] on their US tour in support of their album, ''[[Sacrament (album)|Sacrament]]''. Also on this tour was [[Trivium (band)|Trivium]] and [[Gojira (band)|Gojira]]. In April 2007, they were on tour opening for [[Megadeth]] and [[Heaven and Hell (band)|Heaven and Hell]] in the US. They then began their European festival dates during May, June and July in Luxembourg, supported by [[Caliban (band)|Caliban]] and Mastodon, and in a testament to their UK and European stronghold had Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage opening for them on several dates in the UK and Europe. During this time they played the [[Download Festival]] at [[Donington Park]]. Their performance at the festival was praised by ''Kerrang!'', and [[Iron Maiden]]'s vocalist [[Bruce Dickinson]] as the best performance of the entire 3 day event (in the bands previous visit to the festival they were voted as "band of the weekend" by fans).

Shortly after their appearance at Download, they announced a co-headlining arena tour of Japan/Europe/Australia (called The Black Crusade) during October, November and December 2007. Other bands on the bill are [[Trivium (band)|Trivium]], [[Dragonforce]] (Europe only), [[Arch Enemy (band)|Arch Enemy]] and [[Shadows Fall]].

On [[June 12]], [[2007]], at the [[Metal Hammer]] [[awards]], the band won the award for "Best Album", along with Robb Flynn winning the "Golden God" award.<ref name="Metallicat's tour histoy">{{cite web| url=http://www.metallica.com/timeline.asp?page=tour&id=13450 |title=Metallica Tour History |publisher=''Metallica.com'' |accessdate=2007-11-21}}</ref>

They also replaced [[Bullet For My Valentine]] (they had to cancel because Matt Tuck needed a tonsillectomy) supporting [[Metallica]]'s [[Wembley Stadium]] Show on Sunday [[July 8]], [[2007]], much to the audiences delight.<ref name="Metallicat's tour histoy"/>

In August the band won two Kerrang Awards awards once again for Album of the Year, and another for Hard Rock Heroes.

Sometime during the month of August, current Machine Head bassist, [[Adam Duce]] broke his leg while Dirt Bike Riding in Redding, CA. In an interview, Duce had this to say about the injury, "It sucks to be in this position, because we have such a killer tour set up for the end of the summer and now we'll have to find a replacement for me. I've never missed one show that this band has ever played up to this point and I never thought I would see the day when Machine Head would be playing and I wouldn't be on stage."

Unfortunately, the tour Adam will be missing is the Black Crusade Tour. Dates within [[September 13]], and [[October 13]] are still shows that Machine Head will be playing.<ref>http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/MachineHead/</ref>

== Discography ==
{{main|Machine Head discography}}

* ''[[Burn My Eyes]]'' (1994)
* ''[[The More Things Change...]]'' (1997)
* ''[[The Burning Red]]'' (1999)
* ''[[Supercharger (album)|Supercharger]]'' (2001)
* ''[[Through the Ashes of Empires]]'' (2003)
* ''[[The Blackening]]'' (2007)

== Members ==
*[[Robert Flynn]] - [[Singer|vocals]], [[guitar]] (1994–present)
*[[Adam Duce]] - [[bass guitar]], [[Backing vocalist|backing vocals]] (1994–present)
*[[Phil Demmel]] - guitar (2003–present)
*[[Dave McClain (drummer)|Dave McClain]] - [[drum kit|drums]] (1995–present)

=== Former members ===

*Tony Costanza - drums (1994)
*[[Chris Kontos (musician)|Chris Kontos]] - drums (1994–1995)
*[[Logan Mader]] - guitars (1994–1997)
*[[Ahrue Luster]] - guitars (1999–2001)

== Awards and Nominations ==
=== Nominations ===
*[[Grammy Award]]s: 2008 Best Metal Performance for "[[Aesthetics of Hate]]"<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.machinehead1.com/news.html |title=Machine Head Nominated For a Grammy |date=[[2007-12-06]] |publisher=Machinehead1.com |accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref>

== References ==

{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
*[http://machinehead1.com Machine Head official website]

{{Machine Head}}

[[Category:1990s music groups]]
[[Category:2000s music groups]]
[[Category:California heavy metal musical groups]]
[[Category:California musical groups]]
[[Category:Groove metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Heavy metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1992]]
[[Category:Nu metal musical groups]]
[[Category:Roadrunner Records artists]]

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Revision as of 05:51, 3 February 2008

This article is about the band. For Machine head (disambiguation), see Machine Head (band) (disambiguation).
Machine Head

Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California formed in 1992. The band comprises founder and frontman Robert Flynn, guitarist Phil Demmel, bassist Adam Duce and drummer Dave McClain. Since its formation, Machine Head has released six studio albums, one live album, and DVD.

History

Formation and Burn My Eyes

Machine Head was founded in 1992 by former Vio-lence guitarist Robb Flynn in Oakland, CA. Beginning in a rehearsal room they shared with four punk rock bands, the band played its first show in August 1992 at a house (kegger) party in Oakland, with subsequent shows occurring in Las Vegas, L.A., Berkeley and San Francisco. Members at the time consisted of Robb Flynn, Adam Duce, Logan Mader, and Tony Costanza. Gaining a reputation for as a live band to be reckoned with as well as for being rough around the edges (they would be banned from three clubs in the Bay Area for fighting[citation needed]) they played shows with a diverse selection of bands from Rancid, Fear Factory, Clutch, and Deftones, to Possessed, Biohazard and Testament. After recruiting Chris Kontos on drums (Attitude Adjustment, Grinch) they would record a demo in a friend's home studio, and would go on to sell over 3,000 worldwide. They released their first album through Roadrunner Records, the highly influential Burn My Eyes, produced and mixed by Colin Richardson, on August 8, 1994. Credited with being one of the first bands to modernize thrash metal, as well as pioneering the combining of melodic "clean" vocals with harsh vocals, and launching the beginnings of metalcore, as well as the grooving rhythms that would inspire many nu-metal bands.[citation needed]

Machine Head's first tour in August 1994 would be with Napalm Death (whom they would share a bus with) and then-labelmates Obituary. The band would be asked to support Slayer for two months in the UK and Europe where their album had charted at #26 in the UK, and #44 in Germany. It would not break the Billboard Top 200 in the US, selling barely more than 1,100 copies its first week. UK Metal magazine Kerrang gave the album their top rating, being 5 "K's", with many international metal magazines giving equal praise to the album.[5] . The album would be panned in the US by the metal press with band members stating that one review was so bad, it ended by saying "Machine Head, pretty good, if you never heard of Prong".

The first song on the album, "Davidian", features the lyric "Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast". Subsequently the video was banned from MTV America due to its release date being very soon after the Waco Siege which it was apparently describing.[6] Ironically the video would receive widespread and even daytime play on MTV in the UK and Europe where it would launch Machine Head's career overseas. A US Tour would follow with Slayer and Biohazard.[7] would help establish the band in the underground. Flynn would appear with Slayer performing the song "Witching Hour" in Slayer's - Live Intrusion video. Appearances at Dynamo in front of 130,000 people, Donington Monsters Of Rock and a European headline tour (bringing singer Peter Dovling's pre-The Haunted band Mary Beats Jane and Meshugguah on their first ever tours), and playing the exact same venues they had just supported Slayer in. US success would be a ways off, Drummer Chris Kontos would be fired, and a headline tour of the US with Stuck Mojo and Wickerman as support with fill-in drummer Will Carroll (Old Grandad, later-Unsane) would be described as, and nick named, the Disastour with average attendance being 150 people, attendance highs of 500, and several attendance lows of 35 people. The band would play their final US show for Burn My Eyes on December 19, 1995, at the Troubador in L.A., where after their set, Los Angeles Sherrifs removed them from their tour bus after the bus driver accused them of being filthy, smoking too much weed, and threatening his life.[citation needed]

The More Things Change... and The Burning Red

After Chris Kontos was fired, the drumming services of Dave McClain formerly of Sacred Reich were acquired. They then released the follow up album, The More Things Change..., once again produced and mixed by Colin Richardson, in 1997, and would asked to be apart of the 1st official Ozzfest alongside Pantera, Black Sabbath, and Marilyn Manson. Other US support tours would include Corrosion Of Conformity, Sevendust and main support to Pantera. Co-headline appearance at the Dynamo Festival in Holland, and US and European headline tours with Napalm Death, Skinlab, Coal Chamber, and Snot as the support. Logan Mader unexpectedly left in the spring of 1998. He was then replaced by Ahrue Luster (Now of Ill Niño)[8] who worked with the band on the third album The Burning Red (1999). This album was a sign of a change for Machine Head, the band deciding to experiment more rather than release another album that would be seen as just a shadow in the footsteps of Burn My Eyes.

Introducing lesser known influences such as The Cure, and Robb adding more of his rapping techniques in this album alongside the roar he used on earlier releases. The song "Devil With The Kings Card" is based on Logan Mader's leaving of the band.[9]. It would be their 2nd biggest album to date, with the band co-headlining with Coal Chamber on the Livin' La Vida Loco Tour with Slipknot and Amen opening. Several headline tours followed in the US, Europe, and Japan, with support coming from One Minute Silence, Revellie, Primer 55, Bat Cave, Yellow Machine Gun, and Videodrone, plus a festival run supporting Slayer, including an appearance at the infamous Roskilde festival where the Pearl Jam tragedy occurred the same day, and a co-headline slot atop The Lost Weekend Festival. The album did, however, receive some backlash from fans who weren't pleased with their change in style - some even accused the band of "selling out" and following musical trends (nu-metal and rap metal were becoming increasingly popular in 1999).[10]

Supercharger

Machine Head released Supercharger on October 2nd, 2001, 3 weeks after Sept 11th, and, in spite of one of the worst American tragedies in history, would chart at #115 (higher than The More Things Change...). The video for the song "Crashing Around You" (filmed 1 month before 9-11) was banned by MTV due to its images of collapsing buildings around the times of WTC collapse strike.[11] Co-headlining with inaugural Road Rage tour with Fear Factory (with Chimaira and Ill Nino opening) which began in the difficult 6 days following Sept 11th, would be a challenge for the band. The release of Supercharger would be proceeded by overseas tours supporting Slayer in Australia, Japan, and Korea.

By 2002, Machine Head had sold over 1.3 million albums worldwide, and overall "Supercharger" (Produced by Johnny K, and mixed by Colin Richardson) would go on to sell an impressive 250,000 copies worldwide. Despite a media backlash, fan support never wavered and the band would sell out clubs and small theaters in the US, and large halls and theaters abroad, including rooms in the UK such as the 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy. In light of the Sept 11th tragedy, nearly every single touring act in the music industry would cancel their tours abroad for fear of terrorism, with Machine Head being the sole band not to cancel their European tour, stating that they felt that was exactly what terrorists wanted. With Ill Nino as support, the band embarked on an extremely successful UK / European run, but unhappy with the support they were getting from their record label, once their US headline tour for the album had been completed in March 2002 (with Darwin's Waiting Room, and 3rd Strike as support), Machine Head and Roadrunner Records mutually decided to sever ties. To fulfill their obligations, the band released "Hellalive" (also mixed by Colin Richardson) a live album which was a recorded at a sold out Brixton Academy, in London set.[12]

Through the Ashes of Empires

In May 2002 Ahrue Luster left the band and was temporarily replaced by Phil Demmel,[13] who played in thrash band Vio-lence alongside Flynn. Demmel played some festival shows with Machine Head (including a headlining slot at the With Full Force festival in Germany). Then with Phil not being able to commit to the band, he and Machine Head parted ways. The remainder of the band started writing songs for the next album (eventually titled Through the Ashes of Empires), hoping to get signed to a record label. They recorded a 4 song demo featuring the songs Descend The Shades Of Night (a different 3 1/2 minute version), All Falls Down, and Bite The Bullet and included a slightly more radio-friendly song called "Pins and Needles" (which was never recorded by Machine Head but was included on the Roadrunner United CD under the name "Army Of The Sun"). Nearly every record label in the music industry rejected the four song demo.

However in March 2003, the band's spirits rose when Phil rejoined the group full time,[13] and Roadrunner International (Europe and the rest of the world) came to the band with an offer. Then the band signed the international deal, and started recording Through the Ashes Of Empires. The band then decided to go back to Roadrunner USA hoping to be signed (which they eventually were), and Through The Ashes of Empires (Robert Flynn producing for the 1st time, and Colin Richardson mixing once again) was finally released in Europe and around the world (except North America) on October 28, 2003. Outside the US, the album was praised unanimously in nearly all musical publications (a notable absentee from the favourable reviews was Britain's influential Kerrang! magazine, who initially gave the album 2 K's but have since claimed in articles that they awarded 5 K's), and then it created a buzz in America.

Roadrunner USA came back to Machine Head and made them an offer, and they signed with the label. To make up for the American fans having to wait so long for the new album, they recorded a track called "Seasons Wither" which had not appeared on the European release. Through the Ashes of Empires. It received significant publicity due to the success of the song "Imperium" and what was seen by the fans and media as a massive return to form - both musically and lyrically. As part of this revival, Machine Head headlined the "True Metal" stage at 2005's Wacken Open Air festival in front of 40,000 fans - their biggest headline show to date.[14] Through the Ashes of Empires debuted on the Billboard Charts in US at #88 -- an excellent showing for any metal band, but especially strong considering that the album had been available to purchase by import, and available on illegal internet sites for a full 6 months prior to the US release date.[15]

On October 11, 2005, Machine Head released their first ever DVD: Elegies, greatly enhanced by master lighting designer (and tour manager), Mark Workman. The DVD contained concert footage from the sold out Brixton Academy show in December 2004, and various extras, including their most recent music videos (of 2004) and a documentary on the Making of "Through The Ashes" which detailed many of the struggles the band encountered during the 2 years they were unsigned. In the DVD's first week of release, "Elegies" reached the #13 spot in US[16] and the #6 spot in UK music-related DVD sales.

As well on October 11, 2005, Roadrunner Records released an album to commemorate the 25 years of the label's storied history. Four of the songs on the album, Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions, were written by Robert Flynn. Both Phil Demmel and Dave McClain receive minor writing credits, and Logan Mader came on board as a producer of a different track, also providing the melodic harmonics on the track "The End". Roadrunner United was a project conceived by the label to showcase the talent of the dozens of bands signed to Roadrunner Records. There were 4 "Captains" assigned to write songs for the album: Robb Flynn of Machine Head, Dino Cazares ex-Fear Factory, Matt Heafy of Trivium, and Joey Jordison of Slipknot.[17] Each "Captain" had to choose which artists were to participate in the recording of their songs, and they were to be primary producers. The album saw an all-star cast of artists from such bands as: The Misfits, Killswitch Engage, 36 Crazyfists, Sepultura, Soulfly, Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly, Coal Chamber, Ill Niño, Vision of Disorder, Trivium, Opeth, Stone Sour, King Diamond and Deicide, among others.

They contributed a studio recorded and produced cover of Metallica's "Battery" for Kerrang! magazine's 'Remastered', a tribute to Metallica's seminal album Master of Puppets. The cover was widely hailed as one of the best tributes.

The Blackening

March 26th (Europe/Rest of the World) and 28th (USA), 2007 saw the release of the band's sixth studio album "The Blackening",[18] which was produced by Robert Flynn and mixed by Colin Richardson. Hailed unanimously as a modern masterpiece, with several credible publications calling it the greatest album of their career, and others going so far as to call it "The Master Of Puppets of this generation". KerrangI would give it 5K's (their first 5K's since Burn My Eyes) and Metal Hammer UK would give it 10 out of 10 the highest award ever issued to the band by the magazine.

Machine Head began 2007 by opening for Lamb Of God on their US tour in support of their album, Sacrament. Also on this tour was Trivium and Gojira. In April 2007, they were on tour opening for Megadeth and Heaven and Hell in the US. They then began their European festival dates during May, June and July in Luxembourg, supported by Caliban and Mastodon, and in a testament to their UK and European stronghold had Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage opening for them on several dates in the UK and Europe. During this time they played the Download Festival at Donington Park. Their performance at the festival was praised by Kerrang!, and Iron Maiden's vocalist Bruce Dickinson as the best performance of the entire 3 day event (in the bands previous visit to the festival they were voted as "band of the weekend" by fans).

Shortly after their appearance at Download, they announced a co-headlining arena tour of Japan/Europe/Australia (called The Black Crusade) during October, November and December 2007. Other bands on the bill are Trivium, Dragonforce (Europe only), Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall.

On June 12, 2007, at the Metal Hammer awards, the band won the award for "Best Album", along with Robb Flynn winning the "Golden God" award.[19]

They also replaced Bullet For My Valentine (they had to cancel because Matt Tuck needed a tonsillectomy) supporting Metallica's Wembley Stadium Show on Sunday July 8, 2007, much to the audiences delight.[19]

In August the band won two Kerrang Awards awards once again for Album of the Year, and another for Hard Rock Heroes.

Sometime during the month of August, current Machine Head bassist, Adam Duce broke his leg while Dirt Bike Riding in Redding, CA. In an interview, Duce had this to say about the injury, "It sucks to be in this position, because we have such a killer tour set up for the end of the summer and now we'll have to find a replacement for me. I've never missed one show that this band has ever played up to this point and I never thought I would see the day when Machine Head would be playing and I wouldn't be on stage."

Unfortunately, the tour Adam will be missing is the Black Crusade Tour. Dates within September 13, and October 13 are still shows that Machine Head will be playing.[20]

Discography

Main article: Machine Head discography

Members

Former members

Awards and Nominations

Nominations

References

  1. ^ "Machine Head Artist Biography". Mystrands.com. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum entry". Metal-Archives.com.
  3. ^ "Rockdetector entry". Rockdetector.com.
  4. ^ "AllMusic Entry". allmusic.com.
  5. ^ http://www.machinehead1.com/news.html
  6. ^ http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/machine_head_bio.htm
  7. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=30543
  8. ^ http://www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?Mode=Archive&Date=9/12/2003
  9. ^ http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/30e07.html
  10. ^ http://www.fhmonline.com/articles-4603.asp
  11. ^ http://www.celebritypro.com/bio/machine_head_bio.htm
  12. ^ http://www.musicomh.com/gigs/machine-head.htm
  13. ^ a b "Interview With Machine Head's Phil Demmel". Metalunderground.com. 2007-08-12. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ http://www.machinehead1.com/diary.html
  15. ^ "Artist Chart History - Machine Head". Billboard.com. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=383&cfgn=Videos&cfn=Billboard+Comprehensive+Music+Videos&ci=3062015&cdi=8462966&cid=10%2F29%2F2005
  17. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/RoadrunnerUnited/
  18. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=56646
  19. ^ a b "Metallica Tour History". Metallica.com. Retrieved 2007-11-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/artists/MachineHead/
  21. ^ "Machine Head Nominated For a Grammy". Machinehead1.com. 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2007-12-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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