Machine Head have released a two-song digital single, Civil Unrest. The A-side release “Stop The Bleeding” features Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach. The B-side includes their new song “Bulletproof”. The songs were were both written days after the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.
Machine Head vocalist and guitarist Robb Flynn shares the inspiration behind the release:
“I wrote and sang the lyrics on Wednesday May 27th, 2020, the day that the four officers who murdered George Floyd were (originally) not charged with anything. This day was engulfed in protests and riots across America. I drove into Oakland, past large demonstrations already happening and, in a fury, wrote down everything I was feeling after watching the horrific footage.
“Within hours, what I wanted to say, what I needed to say had been recorded in the song. I decided to sing it over a song called ‘Stop The Bleeding’, that we had recorded back in December 2018.
“I had been speaking with Jesse for maybe 6 months about singing on the song, as it always had a little bit of a Killswitch vibe to me. Unfortunately (or fortunately), our schedules hadn’t lined up, but with the subsequent lockdown from coronavirus, we had time to make it work. After what happened to George Floyd, I sent him the lyrics I’d written, and he replied saying he was “100% on board”.
“Jesse is someone I consider to be a pioneer and, in many ways, one of the men who changed the face of metal. His contribution to this song made it extremely powerful and it’s an honor to have him be a part of it.”
The B-side song, “Bulletproof” is also a new song recorded with Jared MacEachearn on bass and Carlos Cruz on drums back in December 2018. As for the lyrics for “Bulletproof”, Flynn said:
“Were finished in the aftermath of not only the Ahmaud Arbery murder at the hands of white supremacist, but everything twisting out of control in our world. The isolation and craziness of the pandemic, the lockdown protesters storming government buildings with AR-15s, as well as the blatant lies and conspiracies pouring out of our political leaders’ mouths, hour by hour, day after day.”
Machine Heah are donating a significant portion of their streaming proceeds from “Stop The Bleeding” to grassrootslaw.com, the organization representing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. The B-side.
