Machine Head are a band with a huge following in Australia, and they’re touring with Slipknot this month to promote last year’s album The Blackening. FasterLouder was lucky enough to catch up with guitarist Phil Demmel to chat about the tour.

The Blackening has earned the band a lot of kudos for pushing themselves beyond their own boundaries. Demmel agreed that they didn’t limit themselves on this record, despite it being done in a similar way to their previous release, Through the Ashes of Empires. As always, he says, that the band writes best when each member is able to provide input into the process, in such a way that they feed off each others’ vibe.

“I think the way we wrote the last record was similar to how we did this one … except we wrote these [songs] with a different agenda,” Demmel elaborated. “We weren’t limiting ourselves. The whole record is based on vibing off each other, and feeding off that aggression and inspiration.”

The Blackening was also the album that got Machine Head nominated for a Grammy Award. While this was great for the band, it was also surreal for them and, for Demmel, really bad timing.

“Everybody was really, really excited,” he confirmed. “We were on tour with Shadows Fall, and they were nominated for the Grammys as well and we were all really excited and congratulating each other. I have really mixed emotions about the Grammy’s though,” said Demmel, suddenly sombre. “The day we found out was the day my father died. I recall passing out on stage that night; it was a bad time for me. The Grammys was awesome but it was just really bad timing.”

Machine Head pride themselves on not being a band to create two albums that sound the same. Demmel attributes a lot of the differences between their records to the time that lapses between recordings. “When writing, a lot of bands put out a record a year; we record every three years, maybe four years in between. We’re writing for ourselves, it’s what we get off on and it’s working for us. Who knows? A lot of people are into metal right now but grunge might come back again and wipe us out,” he laughed.

In an unbelievable schedule of punishing touring, the band have been on the road pretty nearly continuously since February 2007. I asked Demmel how they manage to offset the ravages of always being out there and doing what they do. “We only tour the US now if we’re headlining,” Demmel told me, and went on to talk about how they’re doing a US tour headlining with Arch Enemy pretty soon.

As to the ravages of touring, he laughed. “Oh, well,” Demmel said, laughing, “the shows were all killer and I think that’s what we get off on. It’s gruelling but it always pays off by the time we hit the stage, we’re into our roles and get the feeling by the end of the show that it’s worth it. So that carries over into what we’re doing.”

In talking about the releases that Machine Head have released, it came to light that Demmel believes that The Burning Red is the one release that people look past. The reason? Because of the bad fashion involved. But he also thinks that The Blackening is the best – better even than the Machine Head classic Burn My Eyes.

“Rod had yellow hair for six months and rapped on it…people don’t give it a chance because of the outfits they wore!” he said of The Burning Red. “The best album, though, is The Blackening. It’s all, you know, everybody says Burn My Eyes or one of those. But I think the musicianship, the songwriting and the cohesiveness of the band on this record is the best.

“I don’t think there will ever be another record like Burn My Eyes; they were 24, 25-year-old kids mad at the world, strung out on dope. Grunge had just come in and there were not too many heavy bands out there. They were up against the odds of those bands and the industry.”

Although it seems that Machine Head have been in Australia quite a bit, it actually hasn’t been that often. Before 2003 the band hadn’t been here for eight years, and at one time, in 13 years. But the 2004 tour sold out and, as Demmel said, the shows have always been amazing.

“In 04 it was amazing, sold out, and we came through again last year for an amazing round with Trivium and Arch Enemy. It was such a good run, and I’m looking forward to getting back there with Slipknot – one of the top bands in the world. I love it down there, we are always so well treated. You guys speak English,” he laughed. “You drive on the wrong side of the road but the US dollar is nearly the same so that’s good.”

But it’s really the fans that he digs the most. “Just the craziness of the fans!” Demmel enthused. “The last time was crazy, fans were singing the lyrics and jumping up and down and going nuts. It was a really good time for the band. Machine Head gives its all every night, especially if the crowd is feeling what we’re giving ‘em. We’re mixing up a set of stuff that’s not played a lot live, tryin’ to mix it up to keep people guessing. You can expect a rocking set!”

Machine Head join Slipknot at the following arena shows this month.

Friday 24 – Riverstage, Brisbane

Sunday 26 – Acer Arena, Sydney

Monday 27 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Tuesday 28 – Jubilee Pavilion, Adelaide Showground

Thursday 30 – Robinson Pavilion, Perth