ROBB FLYNN: 'If It Weren't For SLAYER, There Would Be No MACHINE HEAD'

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn has issued the following update:

"'We're number 2! We're number 2! We're number 2!'

That's what us and the SHADOWS FALL guys were jokingly chanting at the Grammy after-party last night. Yeah it was disappointing, but man, we've joined an elite group of Grammy 'losers' that might be even more metal than the winners, including four-time Grammy losers PANTERA, MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Just getting nominated for a Grammy was an incredible highlight for the band, and the Grammys were pretty damn awesome. Tina Turner up there shaking her thing was just amazing, a smokin' hot Carrie Underwood, Kanye and Daft Punk, the Cirque De Soleil BEATLES tribute... Jesus, their rendition of'Let It Be' had me on the verge of tears. My Dad and step-mom up there proud as could be... it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

"Five minutes after the 'Best Metal Performance' nomination was given to SLAYER, I got a text from Kerry King (who didn't attend) that said, 'I'll take the Grammy... but I have no problem telling you that you guys should have won!' Very cool and VERY classy of him. He didn't have to say that, but he did, and it was a very big thing to do. I give him all the respect in the world for doing it.

"Should we have won? Well to listen to the 'blogsphere' tell it... controversially, yes! On behalf of the band I want to thank all the kids and people who were on sites like Blabbermouth, MH1, etc. venting their overwhelming support for the band. Would I have rather lost to 'Angel Of Death' or 'Seasons In The Abyss', or 'Disciple' rather than the bonus track on the re-release of the same album they won last year for? Sure! But, if any band can carry the torch in representing 'pure' metal, it's SLAYER. Past 'metal' winners included RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SOUNDGARDEN, and DEFTONES, who, while great bands in their own right, are NOT metal. We can ALL take pride in the fact that it was SLAYER this year and not AVENGED SEVENFOLD or JETHRO fucking TULL!!!

"If it weren't for SLAYER, there would be no MACHINE HEAD, and I have no problem saying that. Even before we toured with them, I had seen SLAYER more times than any other band in my life. My friends and I lived and breathed SLAYER, and Phil, Adam, and I all shared many pre-MACHINE HEAD moments worshipping SLAYER, whether it was driving across country listening to 'Seasons' on the first VIO-LENCE tour, or driving all over California as friends for hours to follow the band around. At this point I can confidently say, that including the over 90 shows MACHINE HEAD have played with them, I have seen probably 130 SLAYER shows all together, more shows than any other band in existence for me.

"So to Kerry, Jeff, Tom, and Dave... congratulations, you've earned it... again.

"HELLYEAH tour is going really cool, playing some crazy places that we've never played before in America like Charlotte, NC and Atlantic City, NJ. It's fun playing to their crowd too, since in a lot of these nooks and crannies of America a lot of kids are seeing MACHINE HEAD for the first time ever, and a lot of times have only heard the new stuff. We've had some amazing shows too, not quite the insanity of the U.K. or Europe, or even the last U.S. run, but rad nonetheless. MUDVAYNE dudes are really cool, Bob to Tomcat and their crew guys are really cool too, but dude, Vinnie Paul is possibly the coolest, smoothest, pimpest motherfucker I know. The motherfucker is like the god damned Pope when he comes out after a show, with people practically tripping over themselves to meet him. And good lord if the dude isn't the biggest stripper-chick magnet I've ever been around in my life, Christ almighty!!?? The ladies LOVE to be around Vinnie Paul!

"HELLYEAH are a great rock band, and I gotta give it up to singer Chad Gray, he has an uncanny ability to make a deep and honest connection with the crowd. Not in the rocking / thrashing sense, but in his ability to make every person in the room feel a part of the show, something that sounds a lot easier than it is. Dude is a GREAT frontman. And GODDAMN do those motherfuckers like to drink... whew!!!!??? I thought WE drank a lot!! I've never done more shots in my life. We're definitely having fun out here.
"Really looking forward to supporting KORN in Dubai, headlining Israel for the first time ever is gonna be amazing, India for the first time, first headlining show in Japan in like 8 years, supporting METALLICA in Portugal and Spain... 2008 is looking so killer already!!!

"We will be doing a bunch of festivals in Europe and the U.K. come summertime, and we're stoked to be a part of the Mayhem Tour in the U.S., it's our first U.S. festival run in a few years. Mayhem is gonna be fuckin' awesome, and we're really looking forward to jamming with a lot of our friends again! Anyway, until next time...

"'We're number 2! We're number 2! We're number 2!'…"

Watch a video report on SLAYER's latest Grammy win below.