Machine head Circle the Drain

Music news: Machine Head release a brand new, Anti Valentines single, Circle the Drain.

Brendan Fisher 2 min read

Machine Head have released a brand new stand alone single called Circle the Drain as of the 14th of February via Nuclear Blast.

Recorded in the middle ground for Machine Head, where Dave McClain and Phil Demmel had quit but Wacław Kiełtyka (Vog) and Matt Alston hadn’t yet officially joined, Circle the Drain is very much a Robb Flynn song. Maybe more so than a typical Machine Head song. Similar in make up to Do or Die really. That does shine through in what is an insanely catchy song but also one that has a pretty clean and occasionally poppy edge to it.

Speaking about the new song, guitarist/singer Robb Flynn states: “The song is inspired by an acquaintance of mine who returned from Afghanistan only to have his relationship fall apart with his girl.  She had messed around on him, then got paranoid about him messing around on her, and drove him crazy.  We had a conversation on Valentine’s Day and he said to me “they were just circling the drain”… the phrase struck me.  A few days later I incorporated it into the song I’d been working on.

It was a strange parallel with my life at the time, having recently had two band members quit, and even more bizarrely, two long-time couple friends of my wife and I, also divorce. It was break-up-season, and it played out with friends taking sides, people not being invited to certain events anymore, social and emotional pressure, and all the typical stuff that happens when a relationship goes bad.

Machine head Circle the Drain

Watching this guy pull through it, helped me pull through my own upheaval. The lyrics to ‘Circle The Drain’ came out of that frustrating time. It’s a sad song about relationships gone bad, but accepting that it’s over, and making yourself move on.  It’s written in a more metaphorical tone, as I didn’t want it to be about my life, but to be about anybody’s life who may be going through a rough time. It may not be a song that connects with everyone, especially those in a solid relationship, but if the day ever comes when your life goes awry, this song will be a lifeline for you, something to help pull you up out of that dark place.

The irony that he and I had the original conversation on Valentine’s Day, and are now releasing it on Valentine’s Day isn’t lost on me, it really is the anti-Valentine’s Day song.”

Check it out below:

Circle the Drain is out now on all digital platforms. Grab your copy from here.

Single art was created by Christian Sampson based on his photography-project based around mental disorders.  Sampson compiled a list of 12 mental disorders, ranging from depression to schizophrenia to insomnia.  The purposefully dark visuals are emotively powerful in their narration of the mental illness and image chosen for the single art is called “Panic”.

Machine Head Links

Website – Facebook – Twitter – Instagram – YouTube – Nuclear Blast




Author

  • Owner/Editor/Writer/YouTuber - Heavy Metal and reading, two things I have always loved so they are the two areas you will find most of my reviews. Post apocalyptic is my jam and I always have a book on the go and have for decades now. From a metal perspective, age has softened my inadequacies and I now operate with an open mind, loving many bands from many sub genres but having a particular admiration for the UK underground scene. In my other time, when not focused on Dad duties and work, I try to support the craft beer movement by drinking as much of it as I can and you will also find me out on the streets, walking. I love walking, I love exploring new places and snapping nature photos as I go.