“It is with heavy hearts that MACHINE HEAD must announce that our bandmate and brother (guitarist) Reece Scruggs will not be with us on our upcoming European / UK festival and headline run. His family at home needs him and we want him to be there with them”, begins a statement from MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn.

Reece has shared the following: “With the support and understanding of Robb, the band, and management I’ve chosen to get off the road and step away for a while to be with my family. To be transparent, my father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. I’ve sacrificed a lot in pursuit of my music career over the years. When I received this news I knew I had to make a sacrifice in favor of my family. I can’t possibly describe the appreciation I have for Robb and the MH camp for not batting an eye when I expressed my want to be at home during this difficult time.”

“Reece has our absolute support and we know full well that the Head Cases around the world share our sentiments. We ask that both fans, peers, and media please respect his privacy during this challenging time”, continues Flynn.

“Joining us to fill in this massive void for the lion’s share of the upcoming shows will be good friend (and former bandmate), Vogg Waclaw Kieltyka, alongside long-time producer, collaborator, and DARKNESS EVERYWHERE member Zack Ohren on select dates where/when Vogg’s band DECAPITATED is already scheduled to perform.”

The next MACHINE HEAD show is June 28th at Tons Of Rock in Oslo, Norway. Their complete tour schedule can be found here.