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Machine Head formed in 1992 in Oakland, California USA, with Robert
Flynn on vocals+guitar, Logan Mader on guitar, Adam Duce on bass and Chris
Kontos on drums. The band's first demo was a very rough estimation of
their sound, a combination of the aggression of Metal and Punk and the
social anger of urban-Rap, intertwined with hypnotic Alice
In Chains-esque vocal harmonies. It was this demo that eventually
made it into the hands of Roadrunner Records.
Their groundbreaking debut album, "Burn My Eyes", was released
in August 1994; critical praise overseas, combined with 17 months of non-stop
touring, including 5 months with Slayer,
a U.S. headline tour that had them booked at every pool hall, strip bar
and club in America, a European headline tour and a successful first-ever
9-date tour of Japan and Australia. "Burn My Eyes" sold just
under 100,000 in the U.S., and over 400,000 copies worldwide, becoming
the biggest-selling debut artist on Roadrunner Records at the time.
The band re-entered the studio with new drummer Dave McClain joining the
ranks and in March 1997 the quartet churned out "The More Things
Change", an album that charged out of the gate full-bore, overflowing
with raw anger and power; it reached #138 on The Billboard Top 200 chart.
Unfortunately, the band's dependence on alcohol and drugs began to get
the best of them. Mader became increasingly paranoid and believing the
CIA was spying on him, quit the group; the lead guitarist was subsequently
replaced by Ahrue Luster. Flynn would enter therapy soon afterward to
deal with his own problems.
When the Bay Area Metal masters resurfaced in August 1999 with their third
effort, listeners once again took notice of the music; sonically similar
although a bit looser and less constricted than their first couple of
albums, "The Burning Red" allowed Machine Head to expand its
fan base outside of the Metal genre in the U.S., gaining commercial airplay
for the single "From This Day". The album peaked at #88 on The
Billboard 200 chart selling 400,000 copies worldwide.
While 2001's "Supercharger" would produce such live concert
favorites as "Bulldozer" and "Trephination", a fact
solidly reinforced on their follow-up live album "Hellalive",
as well as appearances in Korea and Australia supporting Slayer,
a slot at Japan's Beast Feast festival supporting Pantera
and two U.S. headlining tours, both the band and fans alike felt that
Machine Head could push themselves harder, challenging themselves to forge
something that was once again fresh and innovative.
With that, the band headed back into the studio in June 2003 with new
guitarist Phil Demmel a part of the family and Flynn in the producer's
chair alone for the first time; hailed by critics and fans as a Metal
masterpiece, "Through The Ashes Of Empires" went on to become
the second best selling record for Roadrunner Records Europe that year.
Six months later, in the Spring of 2004, the album saw its U.S. release,
also via Roadrunner. The album debuted at #88 on the Billboard Top 200
chart.
Machine Head are back with their sixth studio album, "The Blackening";
the set includes the new single "Now I Lay Thee Down".
Machine Head biography is an exclusive of 100xr.com
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