A new Machine Head album seems to be very, very close.
Yesterday (December 5), Oakland’s groove metal titans posted a photo of frontman Robb Flynn in the studio, recording vocal takes for the follow-up to 2022’s Of Kingdom And Crown. The band offered as a caption, “Robb putting the finishing touches on the new album.” See below.
The update follows the band’s recent, shockingly quiet announcement that they hope to put out a new album in April 2025. When they released the single These Scars Won’t Define Us (feat. In Flames, Lacuna Coil and Unearth) on November 15, they put on their website, “The track comes from [Machine Head’s] upcoming new album (slated for April release TBD).”
Should Machine Head’s 11th studio album actually see the light of day in April, it will be a comparatively quick turnaround for the California collective. Since 2014’s Bloodstones & Diamonds, they’ve taken their time with new releases, putting them out four years apart. However, Of Kingdom… came out as recently as August 2022.
When released, Of Kingdom… was met with critical and fan acclaim. It marked Machine Head’s return to thrash and groove metal, following the more controversial nu metal turn of 2018’s Catharsis. Metal Hammer’s Stephen Hill gave Of Kingdom… a glowing four-star review, saying, “Robb Flynn and co. return to furious form.”
If the fast-paced These Scars Won’t Define Us is anything to go by, it seems the band will stay in extreme metal mode on their next album. The single was released to promote the upcoming Machine Head/In Flames/Lacuna Coil/Unearth North American tour, which kicks off in the headliners’ hometown of Oakland on April 5.
The package recently added a Las Vegas stop to the tour, taking place on April 12: the same city and date the 2025 edition of the Sick New World festival was supposed to take place before its cancellation last week. See details on all dates and get tickets via the Machine Head website.
Machine Head’s next album will be their first since 2018 without Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka on lead guitar. Vogg stepped away last year to focus on his other band Decapitated and has been replaced by former Havok player Reece Scruggs. Scruggs left Havok earlier this year, likely to commit more fully to Machine Head.