MACHINA is a new generation of intricate, multilayered rock; a melodic blend of alternative post-grunge fused with new metal.
Originally from Little Rock, Arkansas, MACHINA is comprised of members from the bands FUTURE LEADERS OF THE WORLD (vocalist - Phil Taylor), EVANESCENCE (guitarist - John LeCompt, drummer - Rocky Gray) and MOURNINGSIDE (guitarist - Jack Wiese), with Thad Ables on bass.
With EVANESCENCE for nearly six years, LeCompt and Gray toured the world alongside the Deftones, Velvet Revolver, Godsmack and Marilyn Manson. Their album, Fallen, spent 43 weeks in the Billboard Top 10. In 2004, the band won two Grammys; one for Best Hard Rock Performance, the other for Best New Artist. Since 2003, the band has sold more than 17 million albums.
In 2004, Taylor’s band FUTURE LEADERS OF THE WORLD released its first album, LVL IV (pronounced “Level Four”) on Epic Records. The album sold more than 200,000 copies. The first single, “Let Me Out” reached No. 3 on the Active Rock Chart, No. 6 on the Billboard Chart, and stayed in the top 10 for ten weeks. Characterized by high-energy grunge metal, Future Leaders of the World quickly became a favorite on Headbanger’s Ball and MTV.com. The band also played a rigorous schedule of tours and festivals including shows with Shine Down, the 2005 Snocore Tour with Crossfade and Chevelle, and the 2005 Jägermeister tour with Alterbridge.
In between tours with EVANESCENCE, guitarist John LeCompt ran into Phil Taylor on the Little Rock scene. The two had instant rapport, and agreed to start writing songs together. Despite their differing musical influences, there was a mutual respect, and recognition of synergy. It quickly became apparent that a new creative era for each of them was imminent.
MACHINA is equal parts hard-driving rock with ethereal, electronic edge. It’s heavily influenced by Taylor’s penchant for 90s metal, and LeCompt’s love for grunge and experimental rock. With the combination of their ecclectic styles—Rocky’s pulsing beats, and Taylor’s Staley-esque vocals—the result creates a hybrid of alternative metal that is yet-to-be-heard.
The band takes its name from the Latin phrase Deus ex Machina, a plot device using divine intervention to resolve a seemingly hopeless situation.
The song-writing duo, LeCompt and Taylor, will sometimes spend several nights working endlessly to hone a single song idea. The synergy between the two creates a result that is greater than either could produce alone.
Says LeCompt, “Phil (Taylor) is an introverted artist, a strong musician. We’ll spend so much time at my house, just writing songs. Sometimes two days will pass. We won’t even sleep, because we enjoy the writing so much.”
MACHINA sets itself apart from other metal acts by its non-attachment to any genre.
“We’re diverse. Never stuck in any genre or style. Our music is organic. It incorporates classic rock, acoustic, heavy metal, and any style that moves us,” says Taylor.
The band attributes their seasoned sound to solid experience. In MACHINA, no one’s green. Every member has lived the life—on the metal scene, on stage, and in the world. LeCompt and Gray know what it’s like to arrive in a foreign city, and then play for a crowd of 100,000.
Equally important is what MACHINA is not. FUTURE LEADERS OF THE WORLD was always fueled by the intensity of malcontents. Socially, politically and other. No question. But being in EVANESCENCE, LeCompt and Gray have inevitably dealt with the issue of being labeled “Christian music.” Those questions came up again and again for the band. Were they Christians? Were they therefore a Christian metal band? For MACHINA, it’s open to interpretation.
“Of course we have our spiritual lives, and some of that comes out in our lyrics,” says LeCompt.
“We speak our minds,” says Taylor. “I write about a wide array of subjects, some political, spiritual and personal. Everybody at the core is the same. And we want to express hope in these times of war.”
MACHINA is currently working on their first album, with tour dates TBA.
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John LeCompt and Phil Taylor of Machina collaborating on a new track with Mick Mars of Motley Crue.
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