Head Cases,

I just wanted to say a few words.

This is really the end of an era, as we close the UNATØNED chapter for Machine Head.

We’ve been out here doing this for about a year and a half now, and when I started thinking about everything that’s happened over that time, it’s actually fucking ridiculous.

We’ve had:

Four different drum techs.

Four different monitor engineers.

Four different merch people.

Three different video guys.

Three different booking agents.

Two different guitar techs.

And somehow…

SEVEN FUCKING GUITAR PLAYERS!?

Three of whom didn’t even make it far enough to play a show!

We played seven shows as a 3-piece for the first time in the 30-plus-year history of Machine Head - including festivals and three-hour-long “Evening With” shows.

So to say this album cycle has been unpredictable would be putting it mildly.

There have been some incredible highs.

There have been some seriously difficult moments.

Personnel changes. Crew changes. Chaos. Long drives. Fucked-up days. At least one nervous breakdown. Amazing shows. Sold-out shows. Empty fucking rooms. Multiple bot attacks on our socials. Cancelled flights. Close friends and family passing away. Breakups. Some of the best shows of our entire career. Traveling the world and living a life that could only be dreamed of. And probably more than a few moments where all of us wondered what the fuck we were doing with our lives.

But we fucking did it.

Before I get to everyone who took this record around the world, I want to acknowledge the people who helped us actually MAKE the fucking thing.

A huge thank you to everyone at Nuclear Blast and Believe who worked behind the scenes to get UNATØNED out into the world, and who continued fighting for this band and these songs throughout the entire cycle.

And a very special thank you to the always roarin’, never borin’, Zack Ohren.

Zack was there from the inception of this record, just like he’s been there for damn near everything we’ve created over the last 10 years.

He’s been behind the desk, on the stage, in the trenches, arguing with me, laughing with me, putting up with my endless fucking changes, and helping me turn the sounds I hear in my head into Machine Head records.

UNATØNED wouldn’t be what it is without you, brutha.

Thank you.

And then there are the road crew who took this thing out into the world.

Different faces came and went during these 18 months, and I want to acknowledge every single person who gave their time, talent, sweat and energy to Machine Head during this era.

Whether you were here for the entire year and a half, the first few legs, the last few legs, or joined us somewhere in the middle of this goddamned tornado - you helped us get to the finish line.

Thank you.

On the band side, Jared, Matt, and myself were the three constants throughout this entire cycle.

Jared and Matt - I love you guys. Thank you for standing beside me through all of it.

And a special shout-out to Reece, Vogg, and Ben Eller for everything they brought to this album cycle. We couldn’t have done it without you.

But there’s one other constant that has been there through every lineup, every crew change, every country, and every ridiculous fucking twist and turn this album cycle threw at us:

YOU.

The Head Cases.

You bought the records.

You streamed the songs.

You bought the shirts.

You learned the fucking words.

You stood in the pouring rain, the blazing heat, and the bitter cold.

You packed into sweaty little clubs and giant festival fields.

You annihilated the circle pits and walls of death.

You screamed until you had no fucking voice left.

You were there.

And you gave these songs a life beyond the four walls where we created them.

Thank you.

Because when something goes on for this long, sometimes you don’t actually stop and acknowledge when it’s finished.

One tour ends and you’re already talking about the next one.

One album ends and you’re already thinking about the next record.

So I want to stop for a fucking minute and acknowledge this one.

We made UNATØNED.

We took it around the world.

We gave it everything we had.

You gave it everything you had.

And now we’re closing the chapter.

We’re taking some fucking time off.

We’re going home to our wives, girlfriends, partners, kids, dogs, cats, families and friends.

We’re going to sleep in our own beds and remember what the fuck normal life feels like.

And then, when the time is right…

We’ll figure out the future.

But that’s for another day.

Today is about UNATØNED.

To every single person who worked on this album.

To every crew member who helped us take it around the world.

To every agent, promoter, label person and partner who helped make this whole fucking thing happen.

And to every Head Case around the world who continues to give a shit about MACHINE FUCKING HEAD…

Thank you.

I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished together.

So raise a glass.

To UNATØNED.

To this fucking badass crew.

To this fucking badass band.

To you badass Head Cases.

And to one hell of a fucking ride.

Cheers, motherfuckers.

Robb