Robb Flynn: Raging with the Machine

Having witnessed the rise and demise of too many peers throughout their career so far (and almost their own), Machine Head have lived up to the mantra they set out with: only the strong survive. Robb Flynn tells Ryan Drever what it means to be alive, well, and touring with their idols

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Mr Flynn, you’re about to go out on tour with Metallica. Is it still a big deal for the band, even this far on in your own career?

"Yes, absolutely. We bring a lot to the table too: we're doing great on our own and draw in a lot of kids. But Metallica? They're in another stratosphere. This is a band that has meant so much to me throughout my life. From the way I sing and play guitar to the way we write — even the way our band presents itself and our relationship with our fans — a lot of that has been modelled on Metallica. So, this is such a huge thing for us.

"What's crazy is that I'm bringing my dad down when we play Los Angeles. The first time I saw Metallica, I made him drop me off two blocks away, I was like, 'I don't want anyone to see you!' [laughs]. Now he’s coming to see us play with them, so it’s a big fucking deal."

What do think it is about bands like Metallica — or even metal in general — that has managed to sustain such massive popularity?

"I don't think metal ever goes away. I think the media tends to walk away from metal but it's always there. Kids are still screaming their tits off — they want to rage — and metal is great music to rage to. At times, the genre gets a little safe and even I went away from it for a little while. It had gotten too perfect, it was all about flawless playing and fantasy. I wasn't into that, so I went elsewhere for a while. But it all joins back up and comes round again."

Do you see yourselves having the longevity to sustain a 20-something year career?

"[Laughs] I'm not really qualified to do anything else. But yes — I think so — especially with everything we've accomplished over the last two records. We've already outlived so many bands, but we're still here. We haven't had a Metallica-type career with eight million records sold, but I look at a band like Slayer who have never had a platinum record but still go out there and rule it. To me, that's the kind of thing we shoot for because, for the most part, we're not writing radio songs. So the fact that we've got this massive underground following that is so die-hard and loyal is just incredible. We're three quarters of the way there already. So yeah, at least an even 20!"