MACHINE HEAD Guitarist PHIL DEMMEL Is 'Extremely Proud' Of Band's New Material

MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel has posted the following message on the band's official forum:

"Just got home yesterday from our week-long stint on the Sounds of the Underground tour and I'd like to thank all of you who made it out and rocked with us. Also thanks to all the bands, crews, production crew and organizers for having us and making us feel welcome.

"A big 'Fuck Yeah!' to our home base for killing it in Mountain View last week. We hadn't played here in almost two years and although it was a short set, it was far and away the best MACHINE HEAD Bay Area show since I joined. Celebrated with the CANNIBAL CORPSE guys after the gig and learned they were HUGE VIO-LENCE fans. George and Rob proceeded to play 'Eternal Nightmare' and sing every word. YES!!!!!!

"So cool to see bands from all ends of the spectrum going over so well. From TERROR to BEHEMOTH, GWAR to IN FLAMES, and TRIVIUM to CANNIBAL CORPSE, all were killin' it.

"Kinda strange walking into the Eagle's Ballroom in Milwaukee. I hadn't been in that room since Robb [Flynn, MACHINE HEAD frontman] and I played the Metalfest in '88 [with VIO-LENCE]. The set-up was different but it definitely brought up some memories for me. I know re-joining with him had brought back some of that but this was a little different. It made me appreciate the circle that I'd travelled a little more. As for the show? Sound in that big room always sucks but the crowd ruled. One of the best shows of the six.

"Of the five songs we played a night, I've heard the most comments on two. 'Bay of Pigs' and 'Aesthetics of Hate'. The latter is a new song from our forthcoming album. It's not that hard to get metal fans pissed off about a columnist dissing Dimebag and his fans. But after Robb would give his intro speech, it was amazing watching them turn that anger into huge circle pits and singing words to a song they'd never heard. Which is OK, because I don't know them either.

"This month we start recording the as-of-now untitled next album. I just call it #6. Still smoothing out some rough edges but what we have I'm extremely proud of. I'm not one to go off on 'Heavier than blah-blah-blah!!!!' and 'Crushes your these-and those!!!!' but I will say that fans of what Dave McClain calls 'just fuckin' metal' will be digging this new material. Traces of MEGADETH, PRIEST, TERROR, MERCYFUL FATE, OLD SLAYER, VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN, EXODUS, TOOL, LAMB OF GOD, but mostly MACHINE HEAD, will make this album, this bands best from a musicianship standpoint. Lotsa McClain killer double-bass and crazy fills. Lotsa guitar solos by both of us and some harmonies as well. So stoked to get recorded."

MACHINE HEAD will enter Sharkbite studios in Oakland, California the second week of August to begin recording their long-awaited follow-up to 2003's "Through the Ashes of Empires", tentatively due in early 2007 via Roadrunner Records. Production duties will once again be handled by the band's frontman, Robert Flynn, with assistance from Mark Keaton. Mixing sessions will be taken care of by Colin Richardson (FEAR FACTORY, NAPALM DEATH). Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Aesthetics of Hate", "Halo", "The Beautiful Mourning" and "Now I Lay Thee Down".