Former Machine Head Guitarist Phil Demmel recently sat down with Dean Delray for the Let There Be Talk podcast, where he discussed his former bandmate Robb Flynn. When asked if he had contact with Flynn he stated “I haven’t talked to him pretty much since the end [of my time with the group]… I don’t have any desire or need to talk to him ever again.”

Demmel originally left the band in 2018 due to creative differences, as he no longer found joy in the band. He explained in previous interviews that his time with Machine Head began to take a toll on his physical health and personal relationships, which made him finalize his decision to leave.

“It got to be where the talks that came along with it, it was unbearable,” Demmel said in a past interview. “It was just like, ‘Man, I’m punching the clock here. I’m gonna show up. What songs do you wanna play? Okay. Cool. We’re gonna play the songs. When are the dates? Okay. Cool.’ For the last cycle, it was the paycheck. That was my living. I didn’t like my job anymore.”

Demmel revealed plans to record a new EP with his outfit Vio-Lence this month, with sessions beginning last week at Trident Studios in Pachecho, California. The artist also teamed up with the likes of Steve Souza of Exodus and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo for a cover of Dead Kennedy’s “Police Truck.” Lombardo and Demmel also teamed up with former Slayer member Gary Holt for a slew of covers from their classic studio album Reign in Blood.

Machine Head have also kept the ball rolling, and revealed that they were in the studio just a few days ago. Last November they released a new single called “My Hands Are Empty,” which was preceded by their two-track Civil Unrest single. This single featured the song “Stop The Bleeding” featuring Jesse Leach of Killswitch Engage and “Bulletproof.” Mike Sloat directed the music video for “Stop The Bleeding,” which was filmed on-location in Oakland, California and Kingston, New York.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat