Machine Head brought their “Burn My Eyes 25th Anniversary Tour” to the Gothic Theatre in Englewood, Colorado. No openers, no co-headliners, just Machine Head playing through 2 sets throughout the night.
For the first half of the night it was Robb Flynn (lead vocals & guitar), Wacław Kiełtyk (guitar), Jared MacEachern (bass), and Matt Alston (drums). Before the band came on stage there were chants of “Machine F***ing Head!!”. Once the band came out on stage, they started their onslaught with their 2003 song “Imperium”. The crowd chanted the chorus’s and pumped their fists in the air. Flynn would stop every so often in between songs and address the crowd. He spoke of how the air was thick in the building, smelled like weed, the decriminalization of mushrooms in Colorado. He also spoke about how for that night political viewpoints didn’t matter. He wanted the audience to have fun and be in the moment. Towards the end of the first set there was a massive confetti explosion. They also blazed through a cover of Iron Maiden’s “Hallowed be thy Name” before wrapping it up with their 2007 song “Halo”.
Before I dive into the second set, I want you to go back to 1994, if you were alive then. This is the year Kurt Cobain died, Bill Clinton was President of the United States of America, the Lion King was released, O.J. Simpson flees from police in his infamous white Ford Bronco, and Machine Head released their first album, “Burn My Eyes”. This album discussed topics ranging from the 1992 Los Angeles Riots to the Waco Siege of 1993.
For the second set they brought out 3 out of 4 of the members that performed on the original 1994 release. Logan Mader (guitar) and Chris Kontos (drums) joined Flynn and MacEachern on stage. They played through every song from their 1994 release with ferocity. The chemistry those guys have on stage is contagious and it was hard not to just watch with your jaw wide open. Fan favorite “Davidian” was a song that got the crowd screaming and the pit circling. “Death Church” was another one that raised the energy level in the room. Towards the end of the second set they played a mash up of Welcome Home (Sanitarium)/Creeping Death/One/Strike of the Beast/South of Heaven/Raining Blood/Thunder Kiss ’65. This had the same effect on the crowd as a shot of espresso. Everyone went nuts! The night was overly impressive as Flynn and MacEachern were on stage the entire time. It was also a first time to see Kiełtyk and Alston since they joined the band in September of 2019. I think Machine Head summed it up best on their Facebook post when they said, “From the get go, you guys left it all out there and we know there’s gonna be some sore throats and stiff necks in Colorado today!”. It was a night for the books!
Set List:
Imperium
Take My Scars
Now We Die
Beautiful
Locust
I Am Hell
Aesthetics of Hate
Vogg Solo
Darkness Within
Catharsis
From This Day
Ten Ton Hammer
Is There Anybody?
Hallowed be Thy Name
Halo
INTERMISSION
Real Eyes, Realize, Real Lies
Davidian
Old
A Thousand Lies
None but my Own
Chris Drum Solo
The Rage to Overcome
Death Church
A Nation on Fire
Blood for Blood
I’m Your God Now
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)/Creeping Death/One/Strike of the Beast/South of Heaven/Raining Blood/Thunder Kiss ’65
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