Photo credit: Travis Shinn
The kings of metal Machine Head have no announced details of their long awaited 8th studio album, ‘Bloodstone & Diamonds‘. The album is to be produced by Robb Flynn himself and Juan Urteaga (TESTAMENT, VILE), and like the last 7 out of 8 albums, was mixed by Colin Richardson (CARCASS, FEAR FACTORY, SLIPKNOT, BEHEMOTH, DEVILDRIVER). Additional tracking, editing and mixing was completed with heavy metal legend Andy Sneap (EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ARCH ENEMY, ACCEPT, MEGADETH) and Steve Lagudi.
“I cannot even begin to tell you how proud we are of this album,” states frontman Robb Flynn. “It’s been a heck of a ride. It looked like it might not ever happen again at one point, but man, this album is a milestone for us. You’re going to love it HeadCases!”
“Without getting too philosophical on ya, bloodstone and diamonds represent two of the hardest materials on earth, it is also a lyric from the opening track of the album ‘Now We Die’. In many cultures the bloodstone has been used as an amulet to protect against evil, and is the symbol of justice. Diamonds and are hardest natural material on earth (which is how we feel about our music), and it also represents the diamond logo I drew 22 years ago (in my wife’s apartment on Dover St. in Oakland) that has become the symbol for the band.”
Adds Flynn: “10 songs, an interlude, and an instrumental with an audio collage of spoken word snippets (think ‘Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies’) by Dr. Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman, taken from their (incredibly inspiring) audiobook, Spontaneous Evolution.”
“Guest musicians include two different string quartets featuring the original Quartet Rouge that appeared on our last album, ‘Unto The Locust’, and a new all-male quartet which we featured on the song ‘In Comes The Flood’. String arrangements for two of the songs ‘Now We Die’ and ‘Sail Into The Black’ came courtesy of myself and Rhys Fulber who has worked with everyone from Sarah McLachlan, to FEAR FACTORY, and the string arrangement for ‘In Comes The Flood’ came courtesy of myself and ex-WORSHIP and current-BRING ME THE HORIZON keyboardist Jordan Fish, who is a producer in his own right.”
“We worked with several artists to complete the 28 page (‘standard’ CD booklet, as well as the 48 page) hardcover leather-bound media-book that will serve as the special edition, including Rafal Wechterowicz, Marcelo Vasco, and long-time MACHINE HEAD art-collaborator Strephon Taylor. The theme was to have both CD and hardcover mediabook look like an old Alchemy book from the 1800’s, with weathered edges, sepia toned pages, and magic / masonic / alchemy themed woodcarvings throughout.”
‘Bloodstone & Diamonds’ will be released later this year via Nuclear Blast.
Bloodstone & Diamonds track listing:
What more is tickets for Machine Heads UK tour go on sale Friday 15th August 2014! They set sail with Devil You Know and Darkest Hour! Tickets available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.livenation.co.uk.
Sat 6th Dec – LONDON Roundhouse Sun 7th Dec – LONDON Roundhouse Tue 9th Dec – PORTSMOUTH Guildhall Wed 10th Dec – BRISTOL O2 Academy Thu 11th Dec – PLYMOUTH Pavilions Sat 13th Dec – GLASGOW O2 Academy Sun 14th Dec – LEEDS O2 Academy Tue 16th Dec – MANCHESTER Apollo Wed 17th Dec – NOTTINGHAM Rock City Thu 18th Dec – BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Fri 19th Dec – DUBLIN Academy“Killers & Kings” lyric sheet:
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