Machine Head Shares Theatric New Track “My Hands Are Empty”

Oakland based heavy metal group Machine Head shared their new track entitled “My Hands Are Empty” as well as an accompanying video on Friday November 13. The video for the song already has reached 70,000 views on Youtube. 

“My Hands Are Empty” opens with a voice singing “whoa”. An additional voice singing an octave higher then enters the track along with several cinematic drums such as a bass drum, a snare drum, a timpani, crash cymbals and a gong. A minute into the song the guitar enters the song followed by the drums, bass and vocals. During the verse the guitar and drums play a very fast eighth note rhythm which by the end of the verse dissolves into a much simpler pattern. Then the chorus is sung over the “whoa” vocal of the intro, a lead guitar riff and drums and bass providing the background of the chorus. In the song’s bridge vocals are sung over a similar pattern followed by a melodic guitar solo. Two choruses are sung then the song fades out with the cinematic drums playing an easily repeatable pattern.
The video opens with a black and white shot of several individuals dressed in black as well as two individuals dressed in white walking with their hands behind their backs. As the cinematic drums enter the song a man in a marching band suit with a bass drum over his stomach hits the bass drum on both sides. Flynn dressed in black wearing a hood over his long hair and a beard is shown lip syncing the “whoa” vocals heard on the track. He grabs a fistful of dirt, throws it and then it cuts to him performing the song.

A shot of him holding a wine glass and drinking from it is shown along with a shot of him standing in front of fog and tree branches. A handful of pills are buried in dirt shaped like a heart by two individuals wearing white makeup while Flynn sings the vocals and a beating heart is shown. The video ends with Flynn standing in front of the ocean where he walks out until half his body is in the ocean and he falls underwater. He is then shown crawling back to shore before lying down motionless as the camera zooms further and further out.

Machine Head was founded in 1991 by singer and guitarist Rob Flynn and bassist Adam Duce who was fired in 2013 after 21 years with the group. Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern, guitarist Waclaw Kieltyka and drummer Matt Alston make Machine Head’s current lineup complete.

photo credit: Raymond Flotat