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Artist News Releases
Machine Head team up with Killswitch Engage for George Floyd protest song, call on “more of our metal community to speak out”
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 18 June 2020
Machine Head have released a new two track single featuring protest songs written in response to the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery in the US. Lead track, ‘Stop The Bleeding’, features Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach.
“I wrote and sang the lyrics [of ‘Stop The Bleeding’] on Wednesday 27 May 2020, the day that the four officers who murdered George Floyd were (originally) not charged with anything”, says frontman Robb Flynn. “This day was engulfed in protests and riots across America. I drove into Oakland, past large demonstrations already happening and in a fury wrote down everything I was feeling after watching the horrific footage. Within hours, what I wanted to say, what I needed to say, had been recorded in the song”.
He adds that he recorded the vocals over an instrumental track that was actually made back in December 2018. It was a track, he says, that he’d already been trying to arrange for Leach to provide guest vocals for.
“I had been speaking with Jesse for maybe six months about singing on the song, as it always had a little bit of a Killswitch vibe to me”, he says. “Unfortunately – or fortunately – our schedules hadn’t lined up, but with the subsequent lockdown from coronavirus, we had time to make it work”.
“After what happened to George Floyd, I sent him the lyrics I’d written and he replied saying he was ‘100% on board'”, he goes on. “Jesse is someone I consider to be a pioneer and in many ways, one of the men who changed the face of metal. His contribution to this song made it extremely powerful and it’s an honour to have him be a part of it”.
Leach adds: “Being asked to be part of this song is an honour. Yes, because it’s Machine Head, but more importantly, this is a message that needs to be heard and spread”.
“These issues concerning abuses of power and racism are timeless”, he notes. “I have written about these previously and I’ll write about them again. I think Robb really nailed this one, both lyrically and sonically. My hope is this song helps awaken those who hear it. Robb has been a frequent voice of the voiceless in these times, so teaming up with him is a no brainer”.
“We need more of our metal community to speak out on social issues and help raise awareness, especially during these crucial times”, he goes on. “Music is the soundtrack to our lives, it transcends language and culture. This is the reason we as musicians need to do our part to spark thought and discussion on these types of issues. We can make a difference through music and we can help stop the bleeding”.
Speaking about the second track on the release, Flynn explains: “The lyrics for ‘Bulletproof’ were finished in the aftermath of not only the Ahmaud Arbery murder at the hands of white supremacists, but everything twisting out of control in our world. The isolation and craziness of the pandemic, the lockdown protesters storming government buildings with AR-15s, as well as the blatant lies and conspiracies pouring out of our political leaders’ mouths, hour by hour, day after day”.
Machine Head will donate “a significant portion” of streaming income from ‘Stop The Bleeding’ to the Grassroots Law Project, which is providing legal representation to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor.
Watch the video for ‘Stop The Bleeding’ here:
