Robb Flynn has pushed back against people criticizing him for expressing his political opinions on social media and through his music.
The MACHINE HEAD frontman recently caught flak from some fans when he slammed President Donald Trump in a post on the band's web site, calling the billionaire real estate mogul "the embodiment of everything that I cannot stand in a human being" and "the epitome of New York City, elite, coastal, WHITE privilege."
Flynn defended his right to speak out on political issues during a new interview with U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine. He said: "I post on Instagram a lot. I've been very angry about the state of the world, posting pictures and videos of the protests of late. A lot of people support that. A lot of people shit all over it. There's always a very loud minority who're in the 'Shut up and sing!' category. But I don't know what they think I've been singing about for the last 27 years. What do they think 'A Thousand Lies' is about? 'Clenching The Fists Of Dissent'? 'Halo'? 'In The Presence Of My Enemies'? 'A Farewell To Arms'? Maybe it's just dawning on people, but I don't know what the hell they have been listening to. The politics have always been a big part of MACHINE HEAD."
Asked if he feels like the metal — and broader music — communities are doing enough, Flynn responded: "I'm not really a follower of the metal community at large, but I feel like the response has been a little bit quiet. Maybe I'm reading that wrong. I do know that there are a small group of people — younger bands — who are working hard to address it. FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY just had a 'We Can Do Better' campaign — two days of coverage and interviews and an auction to which we contributed, where they raised $60,000 for the ACLU — and it was awesome to see them using their platform like that. Honestly, though, the biggest thing I saw was Taylor Swift clapping back at Donald Trump on Twitter, telling him this is what happens when you stuff white supremacy down people's throats for three years. I was just, like, 'Wow! Good for you.'"
On June 17, MACHINE HEAD released "Civil Unrest", a two-song digital single featuring A-side "Stop The Bleeding" and B-side "Bulletproof". This pair of fierce protest anthems were both written days after the back-to-back murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. "Stop The Bleeding" features a guest appearance from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, with Flynn and Leach trading lyrical lines that spit anger and frustration at current events.
MACHINE HEAD is donating a significant portion of the streaming proceeds from "Stop The Bleeding" to Grassroots Law Project, the organization representing George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.
