Dave McClain - Machine Head
Machine Head are back and Unto The Locust will be the metal record you remember for 2011. It has been to long since The Blackening was unleashed but now you have a new record and during a recent stop on the Rockstar Mayhem tour Dave McClain, the maddening drumming force behind Machine Head, took the time to talk to Metal Exiles about Unto The Locust and its primal feel.
An interview with Dave McClain
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: A few months ago you released the Black Procession for Record Store Day. What does that mean to you?
Dave McClain: It was something cool to do, something different. I like going to record stores and seeing new stuff on vinyl, it seems like it is getting popular again. I grew up in the record store age so I liked listening to records and checking out the cover. I could recite you the Iron Maiden “Killers” album cover. It was cool to do something like that and put out Machine Head vinyl again.
Metal Exiles: I know your label mates Opeth as well as yourselves were asked to do this. How did you get involved?
Dave: We were asked to participate as we had some live tracks from our last show in Australia so we put those out.
Metal Exiles: It has been a long time since The Blackening came out. What has held up a new record besides touring?
Dave: We toured for three years on the Blackening and when we got off the road last year we went our separate ways. We needed some family time and to decompress or do whatever before we got back in writing mode. When we did get back together it was for a few days a week to see what we had going on and as the songs started building we were practicing more. We wanted to get in and write the record but we did not want to rush it but this Mayhem tour came on our radar so we gave ourselves a deadline to get into the studio and get it done so we got pretty busy towards the end of last year.
Metal Exiles: Considering the length of time you spent on the road for The Blackening, do you feel with record sales the way they are that it is necessary to stay out on the road longer?
Dave: The Blackening kept doing better so it just snowballed for us. Seven years before we did not know if we were going to be a band so we were just soaking it in. Then Metallica came around the last year and a half of our tour so we did some random dates with them then it turned into a full blown tour. Now with record sales the way they are it is all based around live shows so it is good that we can keep touring and keep it going..
Metal Exiles: The first single is The Locust, a lot of great time changes and very aggressive. Why was this chosen as the first single and is this a precursor of what we should expect from the entire record?
Dave: We chose The Locust because it is, against the other material, middle of the road. It is between the dark stuff we do and the fast brutal stuff. The Locust just turned into a song for us, just like Halo did. We fell in love with the song and when it came time to pick the single it was just the obvious choice.
Metal Exiles: Is this record picking up where the Blackening left off and what new ground are you guys trying to plow?
Dave: We did not have a set plan when we went into writing but we did not want to write The Blackening part two. We were not going to write a bunch of 10 minute songs or three minute songs, we just went into it blind. We have this musical freedom that we have enjoyed on the last three records, starting with Through The Ashes as we do not have any outside influences, nobody looking over our shoulder watching what we are doing.
Metal Exiles: I know you’re a proficient drummer so when you guys sit down to write what do you bring to the table?
Dave: I also play guitar as well so I bring riffs as well. I have been playing drums for about 34 years now but it has been the last 10 years I have finally get it now with songwriting and drum parts and I challenge myself a lot more. I still play what the song needs but I will go back in and do different drum fills, make them crazier.
Metal Exiles: When you say you get it, do you mean in the past you were trying to over step yourself?
Dave: When I would write on guitar I would just do one riff but now I will write a full song same with drumming, you just get to a point you just learn more things. With life, when you are a kid you think you know everything but the older you get you understand things and come to peace with things.
Metal Exiles: What was your drumming approach to this record?
Dave: I added a Tom to my kit on this album and it opened my whole kit up. When it came to writing I was adding these high fills and it gave a different dimension to my playing.
Metal Exiles: When people hear some metal bands they hear a basic 4/4 beat. What could you teach to someone that wants to be a metal drummer that would make them stand out?
Dave: Practice to a metronome to get your time and learn the fundamentals before you go fucking nuts. There are a lot of people who think they can play but when you get into the studio you really find out you can’t so it pays to learn the fundamentals.
Metal Exiles: So you guys are out here on the Rockstar Mayhem festival, another summer in the heat. What attracts you to these festivals?
Dave: It’s a great way to play in front of new fans and even if you are the first band you are playing in front of at least 500 people and a lot of these bands if they were out on a headline tour they might not be playing in front of that many people. For us it is about winning new people over with the thousands that are here for the tour.
Metal Exiles: Godsmack and Disturbed are completely different, more radio friendly bands, do you think it is a challenge to win their fans over?
Dave: It is because a lot of their fans listen to the hard rock channel on the radio and they probably do not care if they see you and they will stand right there while you play with a look on their face like “Will you please get off the fucking stage?”. We have been through a lot of that but when you do get a good reaction out of them and you start winning people over it’s a great feeling.
Metal Exiles: You drummed with Sacred Reich in the early 90s, what is your best Sacred Reich moment?
Dave: First was just getting the gig with those guys. I was 25 at the time and they were my favorite band at the time. I auditioned for them and they told me I had the gig and they were going to be out on the road with Sepultura, it was a dream come true for me. We got to tour with Pantera on the Vulger tour when that album had just blown up.
Metal Exiles: To close this out, what can fans expect from Unto The Locust?
Dave: There is some very dark stuff, nothing to mellow though as well as some fast brutal stuff.
Metal Exiles: Were you trying to prove something to yourself?
Dave: We were just having fun writing music, nothing was contrived. We did not have this plan to do the “Heaviest stuff we have ever done”. It just started coming out that way. The Locust is almost just like a rock song with Machine Head elements to it. With the last three records we felt like we have come into our own and we made the best record we possibly could to follow up The Blackening.
Official Machine Head Site
An interview with Dave McClain
By Jeffrey Easton
Metal Exiles: A few months ago you released the Black Procession for Record Store Day. What does that mean to you?
Dave McClain: It was something cool to do, something different. I like going to record stores and seeing new stuff on vinyl, it seems like it is getting popular again. I grew up in the record store age so I liked listening to records and checking out the cover. I could recite you the Iron Maiden “Killers” album cover. It was cool to do something like that and put out Machine Head vinyl again.
Metal Exiles: I know your label mates Opeth as well as yourselves were asked to do this. How did you get involved?
Dave: We were asked to participate as we had some live tracks from our last show in Australia so we put those out.
Metal Exiles: It has been a long time since The Blackening came out. What has held up a new record besides touring?
Dave: We toured for three years on the Blackening and when we got off the road last year we went our separate ways. We needed some family time and to decompress or do whatever before we got back in writing mode. When we did get back together it was for a few days a week to see what we had going on and as the songs started building we were practicing more. We wanted to get in and write the record but we did not want to rush it but this Mayhem tour came on our radar so we gave ourselves a deadline to get into the studio and get it done so we got pretty busy towards the end of last year.
Metal Exiles: Considering the length of time you spent on the road for The Blackening, do you feel with record sales the way they are that it is necessary to stay out on the road longer?
Dave: The Blackening kept doing better so it just snowballed for us. Seven years before we did not know if we were going to be a band so we were just soaking it in. Then Metallica came around the last year and a half of our tour so we did some random dates with them then it turned into a full blown tour. Now with record sales the way they are it is all based around live shows so it is good that we can keep touring and keep it going..
Metal Exiles: The first single is The Locust, a lot of great time changes and very aggressive. Why was this chosen as the first single and is this a precursor of what we should expect from the entire record?
Dave: We chose The Locust because it is, against the other material, middle of the road. It is between the dark stuff we do and the fast brutal stuff. The Locust just turned into a song for us, just like Halo did. We fell in love with the song and when it came time to pick the single it was just the obvious choice.
Metal Exiles: Is this record picking up where the Blackening left off and what new ground are you guys trying to plow?
Dave: We did not have a set plan when we went into writing but we did not want to write The Blackening part two. We were not going to write a bunch of 10 minute songs or three minute songs, we just went into it blind. We have this musical freedom that we have enjoyed on the last three records, starting with Through The Ashes as we do not have any outside influences, nobody looking over our shoulder watching what we are doing.
Metal Exiles: I know you’re a proficient drummer so when you guys sit down to write what do you bring to the table?
Dave: I also play guitar as well so I bring riffs as well. I have been playing drums for about 34 years now but it has been the last 10 years I have finally get it now with songwriting and drum parts and I challenge myself a lot more. I still play what the song needs but I will go back in and do different drum fills, make them crazier.
Metal Exiles: When you say you get it, do you mean in the past you were trying to over step yourself?
Dave: When I would write on guitar I would just do one riff but now I will write a full song same with drumming, you just get to a point you just learn more things. With life, when you are a kid you think you know everything but the older you get you understand things and come to peace with things.
Metal Exiles: What was your drumming approach to this record?
Dave: I added a Tom to my kit on this album and it opened my whole kit up. When it came to writing I was adding these high fills and it gave a different dimension to my playing.
Metal Exiles: When people hear some metal bands they hear a basic 4/4 beat. What could you teach to someone that wants to be a metal drummer that would make them stand out?
Dave: Practice to a metronome to get your time and learn the fundamentals before you go fucking nuts. There are a lot of people who think they can play but when you get into the studio you really find out you can’t so it pays to learn the fundamentals.
Metal Exiles: So you guys are out here on the Rockstar Mayhem festival, another summer in the heat. What attracts you to these festivals?
Dave: It’s a great way to play in front of new fans and even if you are the first band you are playing in front of at least 500 people and a lot of these bands if they were out on a headline tour they might not be playing in front of that many people. For us it is about winning new people over with the thousands that are here for the tour.
Metal Exiles: Godsmack and Disturbed are completely different, more radio friendly bands, do you think it is a challenge to win their fans over?
Dave: It is because a lot of their fans listen to the hard rock channel on the radio and they probably do not care if they see you and they will stand right there while you play with a look on their face like “Will you please get off the fucking stage?”. We have been through a lot of that but when you do get a good reaction out of them and you start winning people over it’s a great feeling.
Metal Exiles: You drummed with Sacred Reich in the early 90s, what is your best Sacred Reich moment?
Dave: First was just getting the gig with those guys. I was 25 at the time and they were my favorite band at the time. I auditioned for them and they told me I had the gig and they were going to be out on the road with Sepultura, it was a dream come true for me. We got to tour with Pantera on the Vulger tour when that album had just blown up.
Metal Exiles: To close this out, what can fans expect from Unto The Locust?
Dave: There is some very dark stuff, nothing to mellow though as well as some fast brutal stuff.
Metal Exiles: Were you trying to prove something to yourself?
Dave: We were just having fun writing music, nothing was contrived. We did not have this plan to do the “Heaviest stuff we have ever done”. It just started coming out that way. The Locust is almost just like a rock song with Machine Head elements to it. With the last three records we felt like we have come into our own and we made the best record we possibly could to follow up The Blackening.
Official Machine Head Site
