The new Machine Head album Of Kingdom And Crown is a jaw-dropping return to form that sits head-to-head with the Bay Area band’s classics Burn My Eyes and The Blackening. It is also the band’s first album with Polish guitarist Wacław ‘Vogg’ Kiełtyka, who remains a member of death metal outfit Decapitated. Machine Head’s leader, guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn, discusses the impact of his new six-string partner and explains how Queen’s Brian May has been a huge influence on the band’s sound. He also reveals another unlikely inspiration for a new Machine Head song – reggae icon Bob Marley.
Let’s cut to the chase – what’s the hardest riff to play on the new album?
I think. There’s a lot going on in that one, like the tremolo picking idea which is the main riff at the beginning of the song and also comes back later. The chorus has uses this finger tapping technique, but it’s