Robb Flynn | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Flynn performing withMachine Head in 2015 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Lawrence Matthew Cardine (1967-07-19)July 19, 1967 (age 58)[1] Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1985–present |
| Member of | Machine Head |
| Formerly of | |
Robert ConradFlynn (bornLawrence Matthew Cardine; July 19, 1967)[1] is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist forheavy metal bandMachine Head, being the only member to feature on every album. Flynn formed the band along withAdam Duce,Logan Mader andTony Costanza after leavingBay Area thrash bandVio-lence.[2]
Flynn was born Lawrence Matthew Cardine[3] inOakland, California. He citesBlack Sabbath as his biggest influence and the reason he plays guitar. Other influences includeBay Area thrash metal bands likeExodus,Metallica,Slayer andhardcore punk/crossover thrash groups such asDead Kennedys,D.R.I., andSuicidal Tendencies.[4]
Flynn joined thethrash metal bandForbidden (originally Forbidden Evil), while in his graduating year atAmerican High School.[5] He played in this band from 1985 to 1987. He wrote four songs that appeared on their debut album, "Chalice of Blood", "Forbidden Evil", "As Good as Dead", and part of "March into Fire", but left before an album was released to join local thrash metal rivalsVio-lence, alongsidePhil Demmel. Flynn then went on to form Machine Head, which released its debut albumBurn My Eyes in 1994.
In January 2005, he was selected as one of the four team captains ofRoadrunner United, an act to celebrate the 25th anniversary ofRoadrunner Records.[6] Flynn wrote, produced and recorded guitar on four songs, these wereThe Rich Man,Independent (Voice of the Voiceless),Army of the Sun andThe Dagger and on the latter he sang and wrote lyrics alongsideHoward Jones ofKillswitch Engage.
Machine Head's albumThe Blackening (2007) climbed to number 54 on the USBillboard after appearing on the charts only two weeks previously; it was also nominated for aGrammy Award, making it by far the band's most successful album. On June 11, 2007, Flynn received theMetal Hammer 2007 Golden God Award.[7] In honor ofDebbie Abono andRonnie James Dio, Flynn recorded and released for free online a cover of Black Sabbath's "Die Young".[8] Abono managed Flynn and Phil Demmel when they were members of Vio-lence.[9]
In December 2013, Flynn and fellow Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel collaborated with online education site JamPlay.com to put together a series of guitar lessons for aspiring guitarists and members of JamPlay.[10]
Flynn had a break-in at his house in which several items, including guitars, were stolen. One guitar, the Washburn 333 or "Dimebolt", was given to him byDimebag Darrell.[11] In 2016, the "Dimebolt" guitar was returned to Flynn.[12] Machine Head debuted at number 22 on theBillboard 200 chart, withUnto the Locust the band's highest performance. They also debuted at number 5 on the German music chart. The album has sold over 100,000 copies in the United States.
Between 2020 and 2022—during theCOVID-19 pandemic—Flynn hosted the "No Fuckin' Regrets" podcast on the GaS Digital Network.[13]
Flynn is married and has two sons.[14] He is anatheist.[15] He has talked extensively about his mental health issues, especially during theThe More Things Change... era of Machine Head, and has admitted to suffering fromdepression,self-harm andbulimia.[16][17]
 | This sectionabout a living personneeds additionalcitations forverification. Please help by addingreliable sources.Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced orpoorly sourcedmust be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentiallylibelous. Find sources: "Robb Flynn" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Flynn used twoIbanezstrat styled guitars in the early days of Machine Head, a white one used in 1992 until 1993, and a black one covered with stickers which he used to recordBurn My Eyes, which was stolen from his home in 2010 along with aWashburn Dimebolt which Dimebag Darrell had once given to him.[18] For the Burn My Eyes tour he used aGibson Explorer and aJackson Soloist. He used these guitars forThe More Things Change..., after which he switched to aGibson SG. His Dimebolt and all the guitars that were stolen were returned to him by a woman who bought astorage unit for $10.[12]
ForThe Burning Red, he began using aGibson Flying V, which became synonymous with him after this period. In 2002, just before the recording ofThrough the Ashes of Empires he began using hisESP SP210 baritone guitar. ForThe Blackening tour he used a custom ESP flying V which was identical to, and often mistaken for a Gibson V. ByUnto the Locust he was using a more modified version of his earlier ESP/Gibson V, with this one having mirror inlays of the Machine Head logo on the fretboard and headstock.
Flynn had signed a deal withEpiphone in which he could get signature models[19] based closely on his designs with ESP. His new guitar for this period was the Epiphone Love Death Baritone Flying V, along with a customExplorer, which he occasionally used on the Locust tour. For theBloodstone & Diamonds era, Flynn has so far been using several Epiphone Flying V's, including an alternate version of the Love Death V, with this one having a tremolo bar. Currently he uses both his Love Death models, a satin black V, and a glossy black V with white binding and a white pickguard.
In January 2015, Flynn posted a picture on his Instagram page, showing his redB.C. Rich Warlock along with his Gibson SG from 1997, announcing that he was bringing them out of retirement and bringing them on the US leg of the Bloodstone & Diamonds tour.
Other gear includes a modifiedPeavey 5150 and anElectro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistressflanger pedal.[20]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
