MACHINE HEAD'S ROBB FLYNN Says Touring With SLAYER In 1994 Was 'A Dream Come True'

In a new interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was asked what it was like to tour with SLAYER back in 1994 and 1995 when he and his bandmates had just released their debut album, "Burn My Eyes". "It was a dream come true," Robb responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It launched MACHINE HEAD into the stratosphere. And I've gotta give [SLAYER guitarist] Kerry King a lot of credit for that, man. He really believed in us and took a shot on us.

"I had seen SLAYER more than any other band in thrash metal," Flynn continued. "I used to drive to L.A., to Sacramento, to Fresno. Me and my friends would take road trips to go see [SLAYER]. We fucking lovedSLAYER. And so when we finally got the gig, it was, like, 'Holy fuck. This is amazing.' They took us all over Europe; they took us to America. We did five months with SLAYER. I got to see 88 free SLAYER shows. [Laughs] And I watched every night; there was not a night that I didn't catch at least even part of the show. And I felt very fortunate for that."

Last year King said that MACHINE HEAD was "the only band" he ever "demanded to open for SLAYER." He made the comment while recording a video message congratulating the San Francisco Bay Area act on its 30th anniversary.

Two decades ago, Flynn and King engaged in a public war of words over the latter's incessant public criticisms of some of MACHINE HEAD's recorded output and attacks on the group's integrity. (Flynn famously wrote in a 2002 online post that Kerry was "a lard ass" who's "eaten so many cheeseburgers lately his brain is starting to clog up, and he can't think straight anymore.") In 2008, after the release of MACHINE HEAD's "The Blackening", King and Flynn patched up their relationship, with Kerry telling Midwest Metal in an interview: "When that whole thing went down I essentially blackballed him and his band for, like ten years. And one day it was, like, enough is enough. You guys are making killer records, and if I ever want to have a tour with them, I want to be able to talk with them. [Laughs] That new record ['The Blackening'] is kick-ass."

MACHINE HEAD's European tour with AMON AMARTH, "Vikings & Lionhearts", kicked off on September 8 at Nottingham, United Kingdom's Motorpoint Arena. Support on the trek is coming from THE HALO EFFECT, the new band featuring five former members of IN FLAMES: Peter Iwers, Daniel Svensson, Jesper Strömblad, Niclas Engelin and Mikael Stanne.

MACHINE HEAD is touring in support of its latest album, "Of Kingdom And Crown", which was released on August 26 via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings. The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis", "Of Kingdom And Crown" includes the three songs that were featured on last year's "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the new MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/producer Zack Ohren.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Later this fall, MACHINE HEAD will embark on an intimate venue tour through small-town America as part of its "Electric Happy Hour (Live)".