the band have given up the answers to some questions submitted via our US site. Thanks to all who submitted questions and thanks to Rob and Ahrue for taking time to do this. Enjoy! 1 – Who is the one most influential band that all of the band can agree on? Favorite City or Venue to play, other than your hometown? C.F. Sozio Rob Flynn: Why, none other than Machine Head of course!!!! ha-ha. As far as influencing us probably early Metallica. Favorite cities…New York, Chicago, LA, London, Tokyo, & Paris. 2 – You guys came into the scene with “Burn my Eyes” back in 94 which absolutely stunned everyone, using a unique approach of modern heaviness which just came out of the middle of nowhere. You released your second album “The more Things Change” in 97, attempting to prove to everyone that you can achieve perfection with your playing techniques. The latest album “The Burning Red”, appeared to be a more emotion oriented album, which might of been your way of saying “We’re all over with this darkness that we went through, and we’re ready to conquer life”. So with this upcoming new album being called “Super Charger”, what intentions do you guys have for this record? What exactly are you guys trying to achieve? As a die hard fan of your band, I’m really anxious to know. Satoshi Morikawa Rob Flynn: Our intentions are still to conquer life, always have been. The vibe in the band is just more charged up now, we felt calling it Supercharger just summed up the power in the music. 3 – Are their still plans for a Machine Head DVD home video to be released? I know you guys were talking about it, when you came to Houston last. And, is there a chance for a b-sides record to come out in the near future? Somewhat in the vein of “Blood-Rooted” by Sepultura? I have heard some Machine Head b-sides, which are extremely good, and the world needs to hear them. josh Ahrue Luster: We would love to release a home video. We have tons of footage from the last European tour we did. We had someone on the road with us who’s sole job was to film us. As for the B sides, there are no plans in the near future to release anything like that. The next thing to come out will be Supercharger. 4 – Hey machine head, loved that song *Block* with all the samples playing through. Are you guys going to do something like that again cause that was one of the best songs you guys did off that CD in my humble opinion. What do you think of this “new metal” scene? Do you want to be a part of it or stay away from it? Timmy O’ Toole Ahrue Luster: Our new record is going to have shit that makes “Block” sound like a picnic at Disneyland. As for the new metal scene, I personally like a lot of the new shit and so does everyone else in the band. We will always be true to ourselves no matter what is going on around us. 5 – What types of things influence you while you are writing new material, or lyrics? Sepultallica Rob Flynn: Well Sepultallica???? Things that sound different, weird riffs, “not” what everybody else is doing. I like to make guitar parts that sound like another instrument, keyboard, DJ, Satan. Lyrically, someone who’s saying something clearly, direct, to the point, not a lot of metaphors. 6 – Will Ahrue play a bigger part in the writing process this time around? And will we hear some solos from him? Josh Jackson Rob Flynn: He played a pretty big part in The Burning Red, and equally on Supercharger. You’ll be happy to know he’s brushing up on his Yngwie Malmsteen leads. 7 – I was curious if you all felt that metal is going to do a full circle returning to stuff of the early to mid 90*s? How long do you think the rap-metal trend will last? Brian X Ahrue Luster: I think history always repeats itself in one form or another but there will also always be new elements added to it. As far as mid 90’s metal. I couldn’t tell you. As far as rap metal, It seams as though it is already on the downslide although I think that rap itself has firmly established itself as a valid form of music and will be influencing other styles of music for years to come. 8 – Can you guys write one really fast, really heavy song for your next album? Like old school MH, but all down tuned like you are now? For all the mosh pit psychopaths down here in Florida… Burt hood/Jax FL Rob Flynn: We actually have, it’s called “Fluffy Bunny Rabbits hopping through the Flower Gardens” , but it’s REALLY fast and heavy. Ahrue Luster: There are more fast beats in Supercharger then there were on the Burning Red. There won’t be any that are fast from start to finish. I think you will love the song “Bulldozer”. 9 – I just wanna say that I saw you twice here and it was amazing, my favorite concerts! My question is. . “I’m Your God Now” and “The Burning Red” are very personal songs, were there true events that happened, and if not what inspired such breath taking songs? Brian Wardwell from FARGO, ND Rob Flynn: Thank You. Both songs are inspired by true events, our friend James Lappin passed away from drugs and that is what “I’m your God Now” is about. 10 – Dearest Machine Head, It’s common knowledge that the webmaster of www.machinehead1.com, Michael Parker, possesses one of the most glorious mullets ever grown since Billy Ray Cyrus. After seeing you guys live in a blistering set in San Francisco recently, I noticed what seem to be the beginning stages of a mullet on Mr. Flynn. My question is this…Robb, are you indeed busting out a mullet in support of your new disc “Supercharger”, and is the mullet the official hair style of the Machine Head Crew? Loving You Deeply, Primuswilliam Rob Flynn: Ahhhhh Primwilly, fan of the Horribly fated San Francisco Forty Niners , a team that suffered a devastating 34-28 loss, AT Candlestick, on Sunday, Oct. 8th 2000, to none other than The Oakland Raiders .Well well well , I tell you what, just to be a sport, and help you get over some of that bitterness, I promise to grow a mullet if the Niners win a playoff game….oh wait , they didn’t actually make the playoffs this year did they?…… oh well guess I won’t . HA-HA , FUCK OFF ) 11 – I’m sure a club tour will be in order to promote Supercharger (at least I hope so), but can we expect Machine Head to join one of the two major package tours this summer (Ozzfest, Tattoo The Earth)? Thanks, Kyle Kusy, Abingdon, Maryland Ahrue Luster: We are hoping to have Supercharger out in time to be on one of the summer festivals. We missed all of them with the Burning Red. 12 * Can I do the cover art? I’ll do it for free! Please, for the love of Satan! Please! Blake * a loyal Machine Head fan since 1994 Ahrue Luster: OK, you’re on. Just kidding. If you are really an artist, send your ideas to Mike P at our website (www.machinehead1.com). If they are good, we will see them. 13 – Do you guys like tube or solid state? Also, what amps and accessories do you guys use? Laine La Cava Robb Flynn: I prefer tube, it sounds fuller to my ear. I use Peavey 5150s and a lot of pedals. Ahrue Luster: I like both. I use line 6 Flexitone 2 heads (solid state) for everything when I’m on tour but in the studio I use an old Peavy 5150 head (tube) for my heavy tone and my Line 6 for everything else. Robb uses old 5150’s for everything. We both use Marshall vintage 30 cabs. 14 – Robb Flynn: How long ago did the band actually start? And which bands did you look up to as an early musician? MarianoVillanueva Rob Flynn: June, 1992. We played our first “house party” in August that year, my favorite records back then were Metallica- Black Album, Ice Cube-The Predator, Soundgarden-Badmotorfinger, 1st Cypress Hill, Pantera-Vulgar, Temple of the Dog. 15 – What do those three Japanese or Chinese symbols on the back of my Machine Head T-shirt mean? Rock on Mike Delano Ahrue Luster: They say “Kick Me.” Just kidding. Those are the Japanese symbols for Machine Head. 16 – My question is why did AHRUE cut his hair??? And who will PRODUCE and MIX SUPERCHARGER ?? And why did MACHINE HEAD chose to work with this PRODUCER???? Any B-sides planned for supercharger ? What about a digipak? A limited edition first pressing???? JASON GABELLA I was just tired of having dreads. I wanted to cut them for over a year but I had to wait ’till we were done touring. We haven’t decided on a producer yet. There will be B sides. The digipack and limited editions, we don’t know yet. 17 – Robb, on the MH1.com forum we’ve heard plenty of rumors about the new album. Some say the new shit sounds like the material on BME. I’m just wondering whether you’ve gone back to yer old style because of all the criticism? A lot of fans didn’t like TBR, because of the rapping and singing and the “nu-metal-riffs”. Does it have something to do with that or are you just tired of playing the “Nu-metal-riffs” yourselves? I’d say post one of the songs on the board…we’re all dying to hear it. And come to the board every now and then…we miss you! Rob Flynn: What do Nu Metal riffs sound like? Are they tuned down?, do they have harmonics and weird sounds ?, do they have lots of low single notes? kinda busier drum beats? hmmmmm???? No singing or rapping on our first album (??????) I guess if there’s no singing or rapping on BME then there’s none on TBR or Supercharger either. Do you see where I’m going with this? 18 – When are you guys coming to Hawaii? We been waiting to fucking long! Stop here before or after a Japan tour, GODAMMIT!! I didn’t buy your guys cd’s for nothing. I want to see you fuckers live!! Rob Flynn: We’d love to. We’ve been talking about going there soon, but we’re only playing for people who actually “did” buy our cd’s for nothing. ha-ha. Ahrue Luster: We want to come there just as bad as you want us there!!! I grew up in Waikiki. I went to Ala Wai grade school and Washington Intermediate school. If we don’t get to go to Hawaii on this tour, I am burning our booking agent’s office down. We also want to go to Australia just as bad. 19. – Is Mr. Flynn still drinking absolute Vodka and coke as his favorite drink? Or do you have a different drink that you favor these days? If so, will we see you enjoying that drink on stage, next time we see you guys on tour? Satoshi Morikawa Rob Flynn: Yes I am. 20 – When r u guys gonna come and visit us metal starved people in australia. The slipknot tour was sold out and u guys would easily sell out too. Just wondering when I could c one of the best bands live, that’s all! Liam Sutcliffe. Rob Flynn: We are defiantly gonna try to get there again soon, Australia kicks ass! Ahrue Luster: Hey Liam. Are you the contest winner that I talked on the phone with. If so, I hope you and your brother are doing good. We really want to get to Australia. Hopefully we will see you soon.