16.06.2023 Machine Head

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

After Gojira had already torn the place apart, the third headliner of the evening took the stage being none other than Machine “Fucking” Head. Even before the first notes were fully audible, while the large Machine Head logo banner still covered the stage, massive cheers erupted. The moment the banner dropped and the band launched into “Imperium” from the 2003 album “Through The Ashes Of Empires”, several pits opened instantly.
Frontman Robb Flynn made it immediately clear that the band was fired up, shouting a cheerful “Bang your head, motherfuckers!” into the crowd. Hair and fists flew not only on stage but also in front of it. Alongside long‑time members Jared MacEachern on bass, who also contributed backing vocals, and Matt Alston on drums, Reece Scruggs joined the live line-up on second guitar. Machine Head had flown in specifically for this show and went all‑in. The light show was relatively minimal, bathing the stage mostly in dark blue and red, but fog was constantly rolling across the stage, and flames were used generously. Hardly a song went by without a column of fire shooting into the sky. Naturally, most fans were there for classics like “Ten Ton Hammer” from the 1997 album “The More Things Change…” or “The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears” from the 1999 album “The Burning Red”. As a result, the atmosphere during the newer songs from the current album “Of Kingdom And Crown” was slightly more subdued but never weak. They were woven seamlessly into the set-list and never felt out of place. Flynn’s grin seemed carved into his face as he looked out at the crowd and soaked in the reactions. The band kept the energy high on stage as well, posing, playing back‑to‑back, constantly moving.
With “Locust” from the 2011 album “Unto The Locust”, the ten plagues were brought back to mind before the band headed into the final stretch with “From This Day” and “Davidian”. After a short break, they gave everything once more, and “Halo” from the 2007 album “The Blackening” had everyone singing along. Pits spun, people surfed across the crowd, and the grand finale arrived with the final chords when a gigantic fireworks display behind and above the stage, making it feel like the festival’s closing ceremony on Sunday night.
What a performance! The last time I had seen the band was at Wacken Open Air 2012. Since then, they had barely appeared at European festivals except for Bloodstock. When Avenged Sevenfold had to cancel shortly before the festival, Graspop apparently moved heaven and earth to bring Machine Head to Belgium. Based on their recent history, it was a slight risk, but one that paid off completely. The high bar set by Gojira was effortlessly surpassed by Flynn and his crew. They were the true highlight of the day, if not the entire festival. Unlike Guns N’ Roses, they didn’t drain the field, but the energy rose from song to song until it reached boiling point. The fiery stage show and the massive fireworks only amplified the impact. Machine Head may have been considered a questionable live act in recent years, but on this night they delivered in full and in this form, they are an absolute recommendation.