Outspoken Bay Area metal giants MACHINE HEAD have unveiled a seething new lyric video today for their song “Bulletproof” that’s featured on their recently released 2-song digital single “Civil Unrest“.
Watch the lyric video for ‘Bulletproof’, here:
“Bulletproof” is a clear, defiant statement from vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn and band who don’t mince words in their fury about the country’s disgraceful climate of corruption, injustice, racism and inequality that has risen during the current administration.
Flynn comments on the song, “The lyrics for ‘Bulletproof’ were finished in the aftermath of not only the Ahmaud Arbery murder at the hands of white supremacist, but everything twisting out of control in our World. The isolation and craziness of the pandemic, the lockdown protesters storming government buildings with AR-15‘s, as well as the blatant lies and conspiracies pouring out of our political leaders’ mouths, hour by hour, day after day.”
The 2-track single also features the song “Stop The Bleeding,“ which features guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman, Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Watch the video for the song here: https://youtu.be/pXiwr6OsYcM
MACHINE HEAD are donating a significant portion of their streaming proceeds from ‘Stop The Bleeding’ to http://grassrootslaw.org, the organization representing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
Both tracks were produced by Robb Flynn (Machine Head, Roadrunner United, Sworn Enemy, Dress The Dead) and engineered by Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA, with the devastating mix being handled by long-time MACHINE HEAD collaborator and producer extraordinaire, Colin Richardson, together with Chris Clancy at Audioworks Productions UK. The tracks were mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.
Bay Area metal icons MACHINE HEAD have released ‘Civil Unrest’, a 2-song digital single, featuring A-side, ‘Stop The Bleeding’ and B-side, ‘Bulletproof’, with the former featuring additional guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman, Jesse Leach. This pair of fierce protest anthems were both written days after the back-to-back murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. They are not for the faint of heart.
Stream or purchase the incendiary tracks here – https://nuclearblast.com/mh-civilunrest
The gritty performance video was directed and edited by Mike Sloat, shot on location on the streets of Oakland, CA, with Jesse’s part filmed in Kingston, NY with David Brodsky.
Watch it here –
Vocalist / guitarist Robb Flynn shares the inspiration behind the release: “I wrote and sang the lyrics on Wednesday May 27th 2020, the day that the four officers who murdered George Floyd were (originally) not charged with anything. 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.”
“I decided to sing it over a song called ‘Stop The Bleeding’, that we had recorded back in December. 2018 with Jared [MacEachearn, MACHINE HEAD bass guitar] and Carlos Cruz [Warbringer] on drums.
‘Stop The Bleeding’ features a guest appearance from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman, Jesse Leach, seeing Flynn and Leach trading lyrical lines that spit anger and frustration at current events.
Flynn continues, “I had been speaking with Jesse for maybe 6 months about singing on the song, as it always had a little bit of a Killswitch vibe to me. 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”. 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 honor to have him be a part of it.”
Jesse Leach mirrors the sentiment, stating,“Being asked to be part of this song is an honor. 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. 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. 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.”
MACHINE HEAD are donating a significant portion of their streaming proceeds from ‘Stop The Bleeding’ to http://grassrootslaw.org, the organization representing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery.
The B-side, ‘Bulletproof’ is a new song, also recorded with Carlos and Jared back in December 2018. Flynn adds, “The lyrics for ‘Bulletproof’ were finished in the aftermath of not only the Ahmaud Arbery murder at the hands of white supremacist, but everything twisting out of control in our World. The isolation and craziness of the pandemic, the lockdown protesters storming government buildings with AR-15‘s, as well as the blatant lies and conspiracies pouring out of our political leaders mouths, hour by hour, day after day.”
The songs needed something visually provocative as ‘sleeve artwork’, so the band looked to longtime collaborator Strephon Taylor who hand illustrated various elements from this moment in time, to make a powerful statement about America and the World.
Both tracks were produced by Robb Flynn (Machine Head, Roadrunner United, Sworn Enemy, Dress The Dead) and engineered by Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA, with the devastating mix being handled by long-time MACHINE HEAD collaborator and producer extraordinaire, Colin Richardson, together with Chris Clancy at Audioworks Productions UK. The tracks were mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound.
STOP THE BLEEDING lyrics
The endless scroll of human tragedy
I swipe along as the days go by
Another brother murdered out in the streets
I connect to the shame, we don’t know what it’s like
GODSMACK have premiered the official music video for “Bulletproof”, the lead single from the multi-platinum US band’s upcoming WHEN LEGENDS RISE album due out April 27th via Spinefarm Records. Directed by filmmaker Troy Smith, this satirical clip documents the band’s quest to make a new video.
In the video, GODSMACK’s manager – played by actual manager, Paul Geary – suggests that it’s time for the group to expand their fan-base by working with new (and clueless) video directors, including one played by Sebastian Bach and another by Billy Ray Cyrus. After being pitched a host of highly questionable ideas, vocalist / guitarist Sully Erna decides to hire his cousin, Salvatore Pasquale, from Sicily, Italy. Everything inevitably goes wrong at the shoot, climaxing with the set catching fire and, ultimately, the destruction of the video files.
SaysErna: “This is very much a short film/music video – I wrote most of it with some contributions from Troy Smith and Kenny Funk. We just really enjoy having fun and laughing. Music is about entertainment just as much as it’s about the art. And we want to share what we do with audiences of all ages. The band discussed having me direct this debut video, so I just ran with that concept and twisted it up. Comedy is nothing more than reality exaggerated, and anyone who doesn’t enjoy a fun video like this is simply taking life much too seriously.”
Salvatore Pasquale declined to comment, except to add: “This script was no good from the beginning. Next time you wanna make something nice, you call Pasquale and he make you the best video ever! Molto Bene! I no need answer no more. Ciao!”
To coincide with the album’s release, GODSMACK will appear at a number of high-profile US festivals before starting an extensive co-headline outdoor amphitheatre run with Shinedown. Headline dates in the UK & Europe are being lined up for the autumn.
20 years since the release of their debut self-titled album and 20 million album sales later, GODSMACK – Sully Erna, Tony Rombola [guitar], Robbie Merrill [bass] and Shannon Larkin [drums] – are a stronger animal than ever. The proof is in the grooves of WHEN LEGENDS RISE, the band’s seventh studio album and their first in four years.
‘WHEN LEGENDS RISE’is available for pre-order now here.
Having just completed their year-long Condition Human world tour, heavy metal icons QUEENSRYCHE are proud to release a new music video for their song “Bulletproof”, watch it below.
Speaking about the story behind the track as well as the new video, vocalist Todd La Torre comments:
“Bulletproof is a journey through a relationship gone bad, however painful the relationship is you still find a way to persevere. We elected to present the song in a live setting as a sharp contrast to the videos we’ve done for the “Condition Human” album to help bring this chapter to a close and start the next journey.”
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