MACHINE HEAD recruits ex-MASTODON touring guitarist BEN ELLER for June 2026 shows with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
05-06-2026
Fan-filmed video of MACHINE HEAD‘s June 3 performance at The Fillmore in Detroit, Michigan is now available (courtesy of Front Row Bobby). It marked the band’s first full concert with new touring guitarist Ben Eller, a YouTuber and session musician who previously toured with MASTODON after the departure of Brent Hinds in early 2025.
In a video message shared on MACHINE HEAD‘s social media just hours before the Detroit show, the band’s frontman Robb Flynn said: â”Hanging out in Detroit, opening night of the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE tour. And honestly, it’s a pretty special night for us. We are going to be bringing out Ben Eller on the guitar to do the whole show with us. The other night [June 1] in Pittsburgh, we brought him out to do the last three songs, but tonight’s gonna be the first full show that he does with the band. So, definitely excited to see how this goes. We’ve been throwing a lot of songs at him, and he’s had a very short amount of time to learn it all. But, yeah, definitely looking forward to tonight. Can’t wait to see the Michigan headcases out there raging. We’ll see you in the pit.”
In June 2025, guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs announced that he would sit out MACHINE HEAD‘s summer 2025 European tour in order to stay home with his father, who had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Playing guitar for MACHINE HEAD at various shows on the trek were MACHINE HEAD producer Zack Ohren and DECAPITATED‘s WacĆaw “Vogg” KieĆtyka.
KieĆtyka, who joined MACHINE HEAD‘s lineup prior to the launch of the band’s “Burn My Eyes” 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019, left the Flynn-fronted act in February 2024 and was replaced by Scruggs, who has previously filled in for Vogg on a couple of tours.
Reece made his live debut with MACHINE HEAD in November 2022 at Strummer’s in Fresno, California at the opening show of the “Electric Happy Hour (Live)” tour.
Vogg was back in MACHINE HEAD‘s lineup for most of the shows on the April/May 2026 “An Evening With⊔ European tour.
MACHINE HEAD have previously released the official music video for their song “ĂUTSIDER”. The clip was filmed during the band’s April 17 concert at The Aztec Theatre in San Antonio, Texas. The track is taken from the band’s eleventh album, “UNATĂNED“, which came out today (Friday, April 25) via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings.
Watch “Outsider” below.
MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn comments: “‘Outsider’ is an anthem that has kinship with anyone who’s had to cut toxic people loose. These last few years, I’ve had to let go of a lot of relationships, and I know I’m not alone in that. This track is for anyone who’s been there.”
Watch the previously releaed BĂNESCRAPER and âUnbĂžundâ below.
The band took to their social media to say:
Head Cases! Weâre excited to reveal that our long-awaited eleventh studio album, UNATĂNED, drops April 25th, 2025 via Nuclear Blast X Imperium Recordings.
đ„ The crushing new single âUNBĂUNDâ is out now.
UNATĂNED is a testament to momentum, an album honed to its sharpest edge, forged on creative discipline and the hunger to push forward. It drips with melancholy melodies, and yet hammers with bludgeoning riffs, soars with anthemic sing-a-longs of love-lost and sadness, to bellowing power and undeniable confidence. Eleven albums deep, Machine Head remain as fierce, relevant, and unstoppable as ever.
đ PRE-ORDER the album in the following formats:
Tan with Black and Red Swirl Vinyl (Ltd to 550)
Nuclear Blast Exclusive
Black and Grey Marbled Vinyl (Ltd to 1K)
Best Buy Exclusive
Clear Vinyl
CD (Jewel)
All vinyl includes a massive 12×12 page matte finish booklet.
UNATĂNED track listing:
1. LANDSCAPE ĂF THĂRNS
2. ATĂMIC REVELATIĂNS
3. UNBĂUND
4. ĂUTSIDER
5. NĂT LĂNG FĂR THIS WĂRLD
6. THESE SCARS WĂNâT DEFINE US
7. DUSTMAKER
8. BĂNESCRAPER
9. ADDICTED TĂ PAIN
10. BLEEDING ME DRY
11. SHARDS ĂF SHATTERED DREAMS
12. SCĂRN
MACHINE HEAD is:
Robb Flynn      Vocals, Guitars (1991-present)
Jared MacEachern       Bass, Vocals (backing) (2013-present)
Matt Alston      Drums, Percussion (2019-present)
Reece Scruggs Guitars (2024-present)
Last year, MACHINE HEAD released a new single, “These Scars Won’t Define Us”. The official lyric video for the track, which features guest appearances by the other three bands which will accompany MACHINE HEAD on the Flynn-fronted outfit’s spring 2025 North American tour â Swedish metal icons IN FLAMES, Italian alt-metallers LACUNA COIL and American metalcore maestros UNEARTH â can be seen below.
Their five-week jaunt will begin on April 5, 2025 in Oakland, California at the legendary Fox Theater, then heads south for a stop at Sick New World festival, then east, and back across Canada, before concluding on May 10 in Kelowna, British Columbia.
“These Scars Won’t Define Us” is taken from MACHINE HEAD‘s upcoming album, which is slated for an April 2025 release.
MACHINE HEAD‘s current lineup includes former HAVOK guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs. Scruggs stepped in for MACHINE HEAD‘s previous guitarist WacĆaw “Vogg” KieĆtyka, who had been unable to make some of the group’s dates due to his touring commitments with his longtime band DECAPITATED.
Reece made his live debut with MACHINE HEAD in November 2022 at Strummer’s in Fresno, California at the opening show of the “Electric Happy Hour (Live)” tour.
Vogg joined MACHINE HEAD‘s touring lineup prior to the launch of the band’s “Burn My Eyes” 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019.
The rest of MACHINE HEAD‘s lineup consists of guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn, bassist Jared MacEachern and British drummer Matt Alston (DEVILMENT, EASTERN FRONT).
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