“There would be shootouts down the street”: Robb Flynn on the gnarly conditions Machine Head endured while making their debut, Burn My Eyes
Machine Head’s Robb Flynn has recalled the tumultuous environment in which the band made their debut album.
Burn My Eyes landed in 1994, with many of its tracks unpicking themes of social disorder and unrest among their home of Oakland, California. According to Flynn, songs for the record were written in an area controlled by gangs, leading to some tense experiences throughout the process.
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Speaking to Metal Hammer for its new print issue, Flynn takes the writer back to the area where the old Victorian two-storey building that was the band’s early home is still situated – at the time, a friend had a marijuana-growing business upstairs, and a spot for band rehearsals was situated on the lower floor.
“This area used to be all controlled by gangs,” he remembers. “There would be, like, shootouts down the street, and we’d have to run back in and hide for an hour or two and let everything calm down. It added to the vibe of the record.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Flynn recalls Machine Head’s first legitimate club gig, at Berkeley’s Ruthie’s Inn thrash nightclub opening for San Francisco’s Metal Church. “About three songs in, a circle pit broke out,” he remembers. “I was like, OK, we did it.’ We knew that we were heavy enough and fast enough. It was like the stamp of approval. It was a big moment for us.”
Earlier this year Machine Head launched a new business venture, Shotgun Blast Whiskey, which arrives in a shotgun-shaped bottle with shot glasses modelled after bullet cases. Its name and packaging were inspired by the song Davidian from the Burn My Eyes album. The whiskey is described as an “ultra-premium blend of 11-year-aged and four-year-aged bourbon” boasting a strong 47% ABV, and is made using processes hand-selected by Flynn.
Machine Head’s new and 11th album, UNATØNED, is out now. You can catch them on tour this year.
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