SkullNBones.com's Metal Mark has issued a new interview with MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel. An excerpt follows:

Q: In my opinion, bands like Machine Head do not come around very often and you are now going on your 9th year with the group. What is it about Machine Head that you think brings the dedication and pure admiration from the fans all across the world?

A: "First of all, thank you. That's a great compliment. I think it's our honesty. We use our music as a catharsis and people relate to a lot of what we convey. This is therapy for us and by sharing our experiences, it draws a kinship between us."

Q: What's the best and worst part about being a member of Machine Head?

A: "I'm literally living the dream and doing it in the band I've always wanted to play in. I've got to go to amazing countries, meet amazing people and do amazing things. I'm blessed beyond belief. The worst thing is being away from my loved ones, but that makes me cherish the time I have with them and not take it for granted."

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RockSource360.com has issued an interview with Machine Head drummer Dave McClain, conducted by Valerie Bastien. Dave shares exclusive new information about Machine Head's upcoming album, Unto The Locust, including new song titles 'This Is The End', 'Here We Are' and 'Darkness Within'. Listen to the interview below:

here

What began as a casual conversation between bands has evolved into a South American tour that will send shockwaves across the continent. After a long absence from South America, Machine Head will make their presence felt this October, joined by the legendary SEPULTURA for dates in Brazil, Argentina and Chile that will surely give rabid South American fans a double-fist punch of unforgettable performances.

October will see Machine Head in full tour form after having played the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival and Australia's Soundwave Revolution tour in support of their newest crushing release, Unto The Locust (due September 2011). Sepultura, who will also be in full-on tour mode in support of their newest album, Kairos, are always devastating live, leaving both bands primed to deliver a set of shows that will be unlike anything South American metal fans ever dared to imagine.

Machine Head vocalist/guitarist Robb Flynn exclaims, "Going back to South America is going to be fucking rad! The crowds there are absolutely insane, it has been a long time coming and we cannot wait for this! We've been working on getting back there for a while now and this proved to be a great opportunity." He adds, "This is going to crush, and having Sepultura together with us? Well, all I'll say is that these dates are going to be one hell of a monster unleashed on the crowds in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. No one will be left standing at the end of the night!"

Sepultura frontman Derrick Green adds, "We are all looking forward to touring with Machine Head in South America. It was an idea that we have had for some time and it will be a great pleasure to share the stage with them. This is a show that cannot be missed by anyone."

Dates include:

October

14 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Citibank Hall
15 - Curitiba, Brazil - Master Hall
16 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Casa de Gaucho
21 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - El Teatro Flores
23 - Santiago, Chile - Teatro Caupolican

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival's 2011 line-up includes Machine Head, DISTURBED, GODSMACK, MEGADETH, IN FLAMES, TRIVIUM, and many more of today’s most electrifying artists.

The tour will make a 26 date trek across the country beginning on July 9th at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California.

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival Tour dates:

July

9 - San Manuel Amphitheater - San Bernardino, CA
10 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
12 - White River Amphitheatre - Auburn, WA
13 - Idaho Center Amphitheater - Nampa, ID
15 - Desert Sky Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ
16 - Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion - Albuquerque, NM
17 - Comfort Dental Amphitheater - Englewood, CO
19 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Maryland Heights, MO
20 - Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
22 - Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA
23 - Parc Jean-Drapeau - (Heavy MTL) - Montreal, QC
24 - Comcast Theater - Hartford, CT
27 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ
29 - First Niagara Pavilion - Burgettstown, PA
30 - Jiffy Lube Live - Bristow, VA
31 - Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ

August

2 - Virginia Beach Amphitheater - Virginia Beach, VA
3 - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek - Raleigh, NC
5 - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre - Tinley Park, IL
6 - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI
7 - Verizon Wireless Music Center - Noblesville, IN
9 - Zoo Amphitheatre - Oklahoma City, OK
10 – Gexa Energy Pavilion - Dallas, TX
12 - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood - Atlanta, GA
13 - 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre - Tampa, FL
14 - Cruzan Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, FL

Metal Hammer are set to release Machine Head’s new album, Unto The Locust, on September 26th in the UK with a special edition fan-pack.

Complete with 132–page special issue complete with exclusive behind-the-scenes access to the making of the new album, extensive interviews with every member, never-before-seen historic shots from the band’s personal collections, a guide to their custom rigs, and a diary of their massive Mayhem tour happening this summer, this is the ultimate companion to the long-awaited follow-up to The Blackening, Metal Hammer’s album of the decade. And that’s not all. This exclusive fanpack also includes a 100% official patch, sticker sheet and poster. This is your chance to be part of Machine Head history!

“This is gonna be fucking awesome! It’s ridiculous,” says Robb Flynn of the venture. “I can’t believe that there’s going to be a magazine about us with a special edition of our new album. It’s pretty mindblowing, really. It’s something really fuckin’ cool for the fans, and it’s something incredible for us too. We’re all really stoked on this new record and we can’t wait for everyone to hear what we’ve been doing in the studio. Releasing it this way on newsstands (not just record stores) makes it way cooler! You guys know how to make magazines, man! People over here in the US need to look at the UK and how you make magazines.

“You guys make people care about this stuff and you’re real music fans. Get your niche and fuckin’ ride it! People want cool shit and cool interviews. We’re pumped about the whole idea”

Pre-order this special edition here.

In the video footage below, Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel talks about the work in progress for the band's new album, Unto The Locust, due in September:

Unto The Locust is due out September 27th via Roadrunner Records. The album is currently being recorded at JingleTown Studios in Oakland, with frontman Robb Flynn producing.

The first single 'Locust' is on sale now via Amazon. Click on icon below to hear a snippet of the song and to order:

Musically, the song is the essence of what Machine Head have been doing for nearly two decades.

"It feels like the culmination of what we've been doing for the last 17 years: power grooves, patented Machine Head harmonics, crushing guitars and dark melodies, but taken to a new level," Flynn said. "It's a natural progression from The Blackening, but different than anything on that record. In the past, when we debuted a new song, it was usually the fastest, thrashiest tune. This time we wanted to go with something just straight-up heavy."

Machine Head will embark on a European headlining tour this fall, dubbed The Eighth Plague Tour. Support on the trek will come from BRING ME THE HORIZON, DEVILDRIVER and DARKEST HOUR.

"This will no doubt be the heaviest show you're going to see this year," states Robb Flynn. "A lot of the greatest shows of our last touring cycle were in Europe and the U.K., so the prospect of this lineup combined with these crowds has us extremely stoked to get out there and tear it up! New material, great venues, killer fans... we absolutely cannot wait!"

Confirmed dates include:

November

2 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene
3 - Stockholm, Sweden - Arenan
5 - Tampere, Finland - Sorsapuistosali
6 - Helsinki, Finland - The Circus
8 - Fredriksberg, Denmark - KB Hallen
9 - Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit 36
10 - Dresden, Germany - Alter Schlachthof
24 - Neu-Isenburg, Germany - Hugenottenhalle
25 - Munich, Germany - Kesselhaus
26 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Arena
30 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle

December

3 - London, UK - Wembley Arena
4 - Birmingham, UK - National Indoor Arena
5 - Glasgow, UK - Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC)
6 - Manchester, UK - Central

Tickets at this location.