Machine Head

Forget your pre-conceived notions about MACHINE HEAD! Everyone has them... the SF four-piece has dropped 2 previous sonic bombs on the aggro-world (the critically acclaimed albums BURN MY EYES and THE MORE THINGS CHANGE) and remained in the spotlight on countless high-profile tours and in all the best hard-music publications over the past five years. However, after providing the blueprint for countless other bands, MACHINE HEAD felt it was time to turn things around. While you will surely recognize MACHINE HEAD's distinctive melodies and Robert Flynn's striking vocal prowess, there is something truly different about THE BURNING RED - something that promises to take the band to the next level. If you haven't heard 'the buzz' by now, soon you won't be able to escape it...

MACHINE HEAD have assembled quite a cast of characters... Dean Karr (Tool, Method Man) created the dark, intoxicating images used in the album packaging, Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit) did some of his most extraordinary, innovative work on producing this record and Terry Date (White Zombie, Deftones, Soundgarden) punched in his masterful mixing ability, all to complete THE BURNING RED. The overall creative vision, however, remains distinctly MACHINE HEAD... colorful guitar harmonics, trademark down-tuned riffing, aggressive, yet melodic vocals... emotional, intense music created with passion and integrity.



Making "THE BURNING RED" was a far more laid-back, organic process than that of their last two records. It was more about the 'vibe' of the record, than the technicalities of making it - this "capture the fire" element of Ross Robinson's work was what drew the band to him. The most important goals were to capture all that has been MACHINE HEAD over the past five years and refine it, so that it retained its integrity, yet expand it to reach a whole new audience. This was a challenge that the band was more-than-up-to.



Tracks like the first single off THE BURNING RED, "From This Day", take the strongest elements of MACHINE HEAD's music and magnify them times-ten: the heaviness, the melody, the groove and much more. This first single has more melodic vocals than ever, and incorporates a nod to the band's long-time affinity for hip-hop. The release of pent-up energy and aggression in the track will draw the dedicated fans out in droves and launch the album into the hands of many of the previously unaware. "Silver"s lush lyrics and ethereal riffs bore their way into the subconscious, while "Exhale the Vile"'s tribal drums provide a crushing backbeat for Flynn's eruptive vocals. The band's brilliant, multi-textured cover of the POLICE's classic "Message In A Bottle" is the perfect way to show off Flynn's vocal talent. He runs from a tantalizing whisper to a gut-wrenching growl, injecting his passion into the track, making it his own.



Something has always been unsettling about MACHINE HEAD's music... the best possible explanation is its brutal honesty and hard-hitting emotionally-charged nature. Lyrically, the band touches on themes of child abuse, alienation and other controversial subjects. The band has come under fire from critics for dealing with such topics, but they have only done so in an attempt to make something positive out of the negative. The band has been winning over crowds on support slots with the likes of Pantera and Megadeth as well as sharing the Main Stage alongside bands like Marilyn Manson, Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath on Ozzfest 1997. MACHINE HEAD's live show is the stuff of legend, striking a primal resounding chord with the kids, their popularity having been built, brick-by-brick on the touring groundwork they have laid over the years.



MACHINE HEAD has never been content with sitting back and following trends. They have been leaders in what we all now call Aggro-Rock since their inception in 1992. The past 7 years have been a steady climb toward acheiving their goals of success. With THE BURNING RED, the band is set to claim what is rightfully theirs.



One thing is certain for MACHINE HEAD, the future looks exciting...

Influential West Coast heavy metal quartet Machine Head formed in 1992 around the talents of ex-Vio-lence guitar players Robert Flynn and Phil Demmel, bass player Adam Duce, and drummer Chris Kontos. The band's D.I.Y. work ethic, aggressive playing, and relentless self-promotion eventually landed them a deal with Roadrunner Records, a relationship that would extend all the way through 2005. Their blistering debut, 1992's Burn My Eyes, blended the powerful, modern attack of Pantera and Alice in Chains with the volatility of classic thrash bands like Death Angel and Slayer, earning them a huge European following. The record sold over 500,000 copies and spawned a massive international tour that lasted almost two years. Kontos was replaced by new drummer Dave McClain on 1997's More Things Change, an album that saw the band blending speed and progressive metal with dizzying results. The excessive touring and high-octane lifestyle took its toll on the group, but they fought through their demons on 1999's Burning Red, resulting in the hit "From This Day," their first commercial single and video. 2001 saw the release of Supercharger, followed by the concert album Hellalive and the critically lauded Through the Ashes of Empires in 2003. The DVD Elegies arrived in 2005, followed by Blackening in 2007. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide