I have to admit, when Robb Flynn announced that Phil Demmel and Dave McClain were leaving Bay Area rockers Machine Head, I was nervous for their future. The announcement came last month.

Oddly enough, this was a kind of blessing in disguise. It gave me the motivation to BUY A TICKET to this show. Who knew when I’d be seeing Machine Head again? At this point, we’re still not sure.

So, instead of focusing on the sad stuff, I bought the tickets.

I’m glad that I did! We freaks and zeroes were treated to two and half hours of non-stop blistering heavy metal at the legendary First Ave. The focus of Machine Head‘s set was primarily on the older portion of their catalog, which was awesome in my eyes.

Some of the most memorable moments of the night include: The entire crowd sining “The Darkness Within”, Jared scratching Phil’s guitar for Phil, the monster pit that opened up during “Killers & Kings”, Dave McClain’s drum solo – which, dare I say, might have rivaled Neil Peart.

These guys are professionals. There was no awkwardness on stage given their recent announcement. Just metal that I pleased to see.

What’s the last show you’ve been to?