Machine Head: No Album Until 2011

MetalSucks recently conducted an interview with Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel at the Long Island, New York stop of the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival tour. An excerpt from the chat follows.

MetalSucks: There was, obviously, a hugely popular response to "The Blackening". You guys have been touring behind it for over a solid year now.

Demmel: February of last year with LAMB OF GOD was our first run.

So do you feel any battle fatigue?

Yeah, dude. We had a little bit of time off, but I mean this is what we signed up for. We're probably halfway through our touring cycle now. We've got shit lined up at the end of this year with Slipknot and then we've just landed something real super cool at the beginning of next year, we got summer festivals next year, and we want to do a proper headlining in America and overseas because we haven't done that. We've just done co-headlining. We're halfway through man.

So you're not even ready to be thinking about a new album yet?

No. We tour to the end of next year, 2010 to write it, out for 2011.

Wow. How does it feel to have been a part of an album that's been so well received by old fans, new fans, and the press? Everyone seems to have just really climbed on top of this album and loved it...

I'm proud of it, man. I am, because it was a long writing process and the recording process... it seemed like nobody wanted us to finish this record. Problems just kept coming up with gear, the studio, ProTools and everything. I mean anyone who's an artist wants their art to be liked, so it's like redemption because I joined this band when it was at its lowest point. It's been like an escalator ever since. It hasn't stopped. I'm playing with the guys that I've always wanted to play with. They're my favorite band, and to be able make music like this makes me really proud.

Did you have some sense when you were working on the album that it was really something special, or did it kind of catch you off guard when it came out and people responded so positively to it?

I knew that we had an epic/classic sounding record. And that's what we wanted, and we were so stoked about it, so we knew people would like it, though not to the degree that it was accepted. We knew that we had something special here.

To read the rest of this interview, visit MetalSucks.

Comments

[Dreaming-V]

;/ machine head rules i liked the blacking a lot

[AngerIsAGift06]

oh what the hell! ah dear anyone gonna see them at the NIA in December?

[dark_gilbert]

i like the blacking too.

>_>

[undeaded]

I love how everyone else gave it 8/10 to 10/10 and then NME gave it 4/10.

Another album would be amazing if it was as good as 'The Blacking' :P

I still think Davidian is their best song to date.

[Metal_Rich]

Damn, I can't be bothered to wait that long.

[ComradSputnik]

I'll see them live in december together with Children of Bodom opening for Slipknot

[simking]

loved the blackening, seeing them support slipknot on the 7th december and cant wait

[12Jim34]

The Blackening was awesome, Halo definately did it for me. 2011, though? I'll be an old man by then.

[Detonation]

ComradSputnik wrote:

I'll see them live in december together with Children of Bodom opening for Slipknot

Lucky man haha

and ahhh oh well just going to bring up the suspense even more for when 2011 rolls around XD

[Shredder Guitar]

aesthetics of hate got me into this band... amazing song. great album too!

[Shredder Guitar]

aesthetics of hate got me into this band... amazing song. great album too!

[Shredder Guitar]

aesthetics of hate got me into this band... amazing song. great album too!

[CrazyPigeon]

The Blackening was amazing. Seeing them in Cardiff.

[Jako215]

Saw them in Jersey they were amazing if they were on the main stage they would have killed it

[gary666]

yeh il be there to see them with Slipknot on dec 9th in manchester! Cant wait!
my two favourite bands!
WOOOOO!

[Mr.Garreth]

2011?!? Damn that is too long to wait for my liking haha... but I guess it is going to take time to top "The Blackening". (if that can be done)

[mtllica]

holy damn, I hope it'll be good, The Blackening was amazing!!

[AvernusAblaze]

ah, that sucks we have to wait til 2011, its fair enough tho, the blackening was awe-inspiring an the guys have been touring like maniacs.

MFH!!!

[MXFNCK]

they rock! and the imperium 'interpretation' on youtube is so funny

[lastlife43]

wow! i really hope they come back over to northern ireland!

[False_God]

Dreaming-V wrote:

;/ machine head rules i liked the blacking a lot

blackening.. lol

[p1nh34d]

Almost everybody like The Blackening so it became classic album. Machine Head deserves it. Congrats to MH.

[Motortool79]

granted, The Blackening was a great album, i still wish they'd go back to their roots and pull out an album like Burn My Eyes again.

[p1nh34d]

And also there's more in the interview e.g. " The Blackening is going to get re-released with a ton of bonus shit on it and a bunch of cover stuff" I dont know if it is good idea and I hope that this will not f*ck up the whole album feeling.

[Cabron1]

Motortool79 wrote:

granted, The Blackening was a great album, i still wish they'd go back to their roots and pull out an album like Burn My Eyes again.

+1 they should get chris kontos back. i think logan was great too.

[motorbreath_445]

saw these guys in toronto for mayhem, and they SO deserved to be on the main stage. im probably gonna be seeing them again when they open for metallica in detroit, which will be a ****in sick show. hopefully they come back to canada for their headlining tour, all we can do is hope

[Jondy]

gives us one year to listen to it before the fall of mankind.

[TheNERD250]

2011 is way too long. It better be as good as the Blackening...or better

[Creep_C-1]

perfect. my favorite band is on top of everything right now. im glad the new album doesnt come out til 2011 because it gives them time to write shit that makes machine head what they are. MACHINE FUCKIN HEAD! MACHINE FUCKIN HEAD!

[Jonny892]

lastlife43 wrote:

wow! i really hope they come back over to northern ireland!

yeah me 2... missed them in belfast last time

[SanJose]

Too bad.

Wellwell, I guess I can wait that long. I'm not sure if their next record will top The Blackening. I mean, they've improved a lot since Through the Ashes of Empires, and for me, The Blackening is at least almost perfect. But of course, in music, nothing is limited.

I hope it will be released good albums next year. 2008 has been a good year for metal. I hope it continues to do that.

[Amito]

saw them last year on the black crusade tour, and will be seeing them again in december with slipknot, will be awesome

[RazorbackDevil]

DAMMIT 2011?

Might as well go see em live then.

[markvdhaar]

I'm so F***ING psyched to go and see them in November Mayhem tour ... The Blackening is my fav. album since ... well, Puppetz or something ... absolutely epic!
Too bad for 2011 ... Jeezzzz, that's waaaaayyyyy too long await.

[Nightstrider]

Woah, there is a god.

[a6l6e6x1]

seeing them with slipknot!!
mainly going for machine head though
shame bout the date for new album but that means they can put a lot of work into it!

[MetalliRage]

i saw them at mayhem for the first time and i already liked them from hearing the blackening. they were insane live. my brother has liked them since 97 ozzfest. I cant wait to see these guys again in January where they will be opening up for metallica. It's gonna be a sick show. they should have been on the main stage at mayhem cause mastadon was absolutely awful.

[Thrash_Metal]

"then we've just landed something real super cool at the beginning of next year"

i believe i heard a Mr. Lars Ulrich saying something to Mr. Flynn about "how much fun their going to have next year"


machine head opening for 'tallica on their arena tour....


**** yeah =D

[andyscoot]

damn, i dont want to wait that long for an album, ah well, slipknot on the 9th will have to do!

[KoRnyKenny]

Can't believe I get to see Machine Head and Slipknot in one night!

Can't wait!

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM BABEH!

[Menza_]

Man still one of my favourite albums to date!

[AidanTDR]

Metal_Rich wrote:

Damn, I can't be bothered to wait that long.

so... what you gonna do?

i kid, seriously though, it'll be worth the wait, i'm sure of it. i think its great that they're going to do a headline run as well as a co-headline run.

[mtllica]

Jondy wrote:

gives us one year to listen to it before the fall of mankind.

haha yeah...

[Infamou$17]

*Yawn*

[MrWeenie]

a6l6e6x1 wrote:

seeing them with slipknot!!
mainly going for machine head though
shame bout the date for new album but that means they can put a lot of work into it!

+1
gonna be awesome!

[SilverSpurs616]

Hopefully gonna see them in December with Slipknot and CoB in Cardiff, mainly going for MachineHead =D

The Blackening is the only material from MH that I've heard but I've loved that album a lot.

[Metonyx]

Jondy wrote:

gives us one year to listen to it before the fall of mankind.

lol. everyone is calling the freshmen the "Apocalypse Kids".

How's this for a new album?
"The Whitening"*





*Sponsored by Colgate

[Jawshuwa]

^ Roflmfao. I can't believe I laughed at that.

[JPetrucci25]

haha sorry machine head fans

[Bunyip]

False_God wrote:

Dreaming-V wrote:

;/ machine head rules i liked the blacking a lot


blackening.. lol

Notice how there were two people that followed suit and claimed to love the album yet they dont know what its called.

dual guitairs sectian and solo in aesthetics of hate is classic I love it. their last album was pretty solid to.....the first album I heard of these guys was supercharger and I turned my nose up to them for a long time. but when I hear imperium for the first time these guys quickly shot up to being one of my favourite bands. I cant beleive they are the same band. not much of a fan of anything older than the two most recent albums though.

[metalonastrat]

2011...

[The_Metalfreak]

The Blackening was an awesome album.
I'm seeing them in October with Slipknot the day before one of my final (and hence extremely important) school exams. Should be awesome!

Also, out of interest, what do people think of the song "A Farewell to Arms"? Personally I love it, up there with Halo and Clenching, what do you think?

[Randomer]

The_Metalfreak wrote:

The Blackening was an awesome album.
I'm seeing them in October with Slipknot the day before one of my final (and hence extremely important) school exams. Should be awesome!

Also, out of interest, what do people think of the song "A Farewell to Arms"? Personally I love it, up there with Halo and Clenching, what do you think?

I agree, A Farewell to Arms is a good song.

Seeing them with Children of Bodom and Slipknot in Manchester, should be ****ing amazing!

[gothboy666]

Im seeing em december the 7th NIA birmingham with slipknot and children of bodom

[Deflection]

Aw that sucks

[Deflection]

Whoops, i meant " ". lol.

[revengedspite]

You can tell that this is an amazing band just on the basis that in these comments on UG no one is slagging them off (except possibly someone who said "yawn"). I'm seeing them in October with Slipknot and I know it will be amazing.

[poona]

Machine Head is truly awesome. I saw them for the first time at Wembley Stadium when they supported Metallica and I didn't know anything about them. I fell in love with them when they played Halo, bought the album immediately the next day haha.

I don't mind that they're taking their time before they make their next record. The Blackening is such a great record I can listen to that for another 2 years without new stuff. Their cover of Hallowed Be Thy Name was pretty awesome anyway, so I guess that counts for new stuff eh?

[arrayofemotions]

2011? Damn that is one long wait.

[undeaded]

Bunyip wrote:

False_God wrote:

Dreaming-V wrote:

;/ machine head rules i liked the blacking a lot


blackening.. lol

Notice how there were two people that followed suit and claimed to love the album yet they dont know what its called.

dual guitairs sectian and solo in aesthetics of hate is classic I love it. their last album was pretty solid to.....the first album I heard of these guys was supercharger and I turned my nose up to them for a long time. but when I hear imperium for the first time these guys quickly shot up to being one of my favourite bands. I cant beleive they are the same band. not much of a fan of anything older than the two most recent albums though.

That's because we were joking.