“I was 18, strung out on meth and drinking every day. But I’d hear a song I loved by Slayer or Exodus, and it would save my life”: Robb Flynn set out to make Machine Head’s shortest record – but he hopes its four-minute songs will have a lasting impact

Robb Flynn of Machine Head cups his hands to his ears as he performs with a V-style electric guitar on a stage bathed in white light.

Bands with 30-plus years of recording and touring behind them are usually in tune with who they are and what they do well.

At that point, the goal is often to give the fans what they want, whether that means releasing albums that tap into the sounds and subjects that’ve benefited them in the past or playing live shows chock-full of hits. Some of these groups don’t feature any original members; others include one or two.