Radio Show host Full Metal Jackie recently sat down with Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel to talk about the band’s impending tour with Dethklok, the similarities and differences between playing with Robb Flynn in the eighties and now, as well as when fans can expect the next Machine Head album. A couple of excerpts from the chat can be found below.
Although Demmel conceded he wasn’t too familiar with ‘Metalocalypse,’ the animated TV series for which Dethklok was conceived, he said he was looking forward to the tour: “You know I’ve seen bits and pieces of the cartoon and not really all too familiar with it but I know that it’s a whole different demographic that’s coming to a Machine Head show and touring with bands like All That Remains and Black Dahlia it’s such a diverse group and such a cool, eclectic bill. I’m looking forward to touring with all of the bands, I think it’ll be great.”
He added that it was more than just the potential new fans and Dethklok’s stage show that had him excited about the tour: “I’m looking forward to seeing those guys who are crazy good musicians and the All That Remains guys are awesome guitar players and Black Dahlia too. The musicianship on this tour is going to be crazy good.”
During the 80s, Demmel and Machine Head guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn played together in a band called Vio-lence. Demmel explained that while much has changed over the years, his musical connection with Flynn hasn’t : “I think in the previous band we played together, there was a different dynamic in the fact that, that was my band – I was the main song writer for that band and he kind of came in as this new part of that. So that dynamic has been 180 where that’s my role in Machine Head now but still kind of geeking out on guitarists and learning stuff and playing stuff together. We still have that real symmetry when we get together and our harmonies – we know when each other’s going to go somewhere and we just have that really weird connection so that’s been the constant through our playing together. We’re men now, we have children [Laughs] it’s been 25 years but that’s been the one constant.”
When asked if Machine Head had begun working on a new album, Demmel replied: “I think that Robb is putting some stuff together, I have a couple ideas and maybe [drummer Dave] McClain has been working on some stuff too.”
He added that fans won’t have to wait much longer for a new Machine Head release: “We have an idea to kind of fill the gap but I don’t think I can really talk about how that’s going to be but we’ve got something in the works that might fill the gap. I’m going to be as vague and vanilla as I can. There will be something coming up pretty soon that’s going to make that happen. We want to keep it fresh, we want to keep the ball rolling and all the momentum that we have with ‘Locust’ going. I don’t think it’s going to be that long in between.”
Click here to read the full interview.
Dethklok, Machine Head, Black Dahlia Murder and All That Remains Tour Dates
10/30/2012 Norfolk, VA @ Norva
10/31/2012 Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
11/2/2012 Silver Spring, MD @ Fillmore
11/3/2012 New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
11/4/2012 Worcester, MA @ Palladium
11/5/2012 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
11/7/2012 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
11/8/2012 Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
11/9/2012 Columbus, OH @ LC Pavilion
11/10/2012 Detroit, MI @ Fillmore
11/11/2012 Grand Rapids, MI @Orbit Room
11/13/2012 Fargo, ND @ The Venue
11/14/2012 Minneapolis, MN @ Myth
11/15/2012 Milwaukee, WI @ Rave
11/16/2012 Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
11/17/2012 Kansas City, MO @ Midland
11/18/2012 St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
11/20/2012 Denver, CO @ Fillmore
11/21/2012 Salt Lake City, UT @ Great Salt Air
11/23/2012 Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
11/24/2012 Portland, OR @ Roseland
11/26/2012 Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
11/27/2012 Hollywood, CA @ Palladium
11/28/2012 Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee
11/30/2012 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
12/1/2012 Austin, TX @ Stubbs
12/2/2012 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
12/4/2012 Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
12/6/2012 Chattanooga, TN @ Track 29
12/7/2012 Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore
12/8/2012 Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle