Metal titans Machine Head rolled into Ybor City on Wednesday night and unleashed two and a half hours of classic hits as well as some of the bands newer material to a music thirsty crowd. The band is amidst the second leg of their North American tour in support of their album, “Catharsis”, which was released earlier this year.
The Northern California metal band is giving fans one last chance to see the band’s current lineup that includes guitarist Phil Demmel and drummer Dave McClain, who will be departing from Machine Head at the end of the tour. McClain has spent 23 years with the band and Demmel 15 years.
The future of the band remains uncertain; however, Machine Head has indicated that the tour is a farewell tour of the band’s current lineup, not of the band itself. Remaining member’s vocalist Robb Flynn and bassist Jared MacEachern will be expected to carry on the Machine Head name and legacy.
The band indicated that the Freaks & Zeroes Tour would be a celebration of the music that the line-up has created throughout the years. The split is amicable, and the guys are looking forward to playing these very special shows for the Head Cases of North America and ending this era on a positive and classy note.
The band’s 23 song-set had a solid mix of Machine Head tunes that included five songs from The Blackening record and three songs from both Bloodstone & Diamonds and the Catharsis albums. A few shows remain on the tour and if they roll into your town this show is a must see for all metal heads!
Machine Head Setlist
- Imperium
- Volatile
- Now We Die
- Beautiful Mourning
- The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears
- Take My Scars
- Clenching the Fists of Dissent
- Darkness Within
- Catharsis
- From This Day
- Ten Ton Hammer
- Is There Anybody Out There?
- Locust
- Beyond the Pale
- Bulldozer
- Killers & Kings
- Davidian
- Descend the Shades of Night
- Now I Lay Thee Down
- Aesthetics of Hate
- Game Over
- Old
- Halo
Review and Photos by Steve Carlos