Dave McClain - Drums

David Wayne McClain was born on October 22, 1965, in Frankfurt, West Germany.

His father was serving in the United States Air Force at the time, and McClain spent his first two years in nearby Wiesbaden before his family returned to the United States.

McClain was raised primarily in Texas and became involved in the San Antonio heavy metal scene. His early drumming influences included Peter Criss, Tommy Aldridge and Neil Peart.

S.A. Slayer

One of McClain's earliest significant bands was S.A. Slayer, a San Antonio metal band unrelated to the better-known California band Slayer.

McClain played drums on the band's Prepare to Die EP and on material that later appeared on Go for the Throat.

The group became an important part of the early Texas heavy metal scene and provided McClain with some of his first professional recording experience.

Early Bands

During the following years, McClain performed with a number of metal bands and projects including Juggernaut, Catalepsy, Narita, Turbin and Ministers of Anger.

He was also a member of Murdercar, which included guitarist Ross Robinson.

Robinson would later become a highly successful producer and, years afterwards, would produce Machine Head's 1999 album The Burning Red.

Sacred Reich

In 1991, McClain joined Arizona thrash metal band Sacred Reich, replacing founding drummer Greg Hall.

He appeared on the A Question EP in 1991 and the band's studio album Independent in 1993.

McClain also recorded the drum tracks for Sacred Reich's next album, Heal, before leaving the band in late 1995. The album was released in 1996.

Machine Head Searches for a Drummer

Machine Head had been touring heavily behind their debut album, Burn My Eyes, when their relationship with original album drummer Chris Kontos came to an end in 1995.

Rather than immediately finding a permanent replacement, Machine Head went through a transitional period involving several temporary drummers.

Walter "Monsta" Ryan joined Robb Flynn, Logan Mader and Adam Duce for a short series of Australian and European dates.

Although Ryan performed well, his style was not considered the ideal long-term fit for the band.

Machine Head then recruited San Francisco drummer Will Carroll to handle their first United States headline tour behind Burn My Eyes.

Carroll was also a temporary replacement while Machine Head continued searching for a permanent drummer.

The band auditioned numerous candidates during this period.

Sepultura drummer Igor Cavalera eventually told Flynn that Sacred Reich drummer Dave McClain might be interested in the position.

McClain had previously considered Machine Head but initially decided to remain loyal to Sacred Reich.

As the situation within Sacred Reich changed, however, he contacted Machine Head again.

Joining Machine Head

Machine Head's US tour ended on December 10, 1995.

Six days later, on December 16, McClain flew to Oakland to audition for the band.

He volunteered to begin the audition with "Davidian", immediately impressing Flynn, Mader and Duce.

The band then played "Block" and several other songs with him.

Although Machine Head were already convinced that McClain was the right drummer, they auditioned another candidate before making the final decision.

Flynn deliberately kept McClain waiting for ten days.

On December 26, 1995, Flynn finally called him and officially offered him the position as Machine Head's new drummer.

The More Things Change...

McClain's first Machine Head studio album was The More Things Change..., released in 1997.

Recording was complicated when McClain was involved in a car accident and required time to recover before completing his drum tracks.

The album nevertheless established the Flynn-Duce-Mader-McClain lineup and began what would become the longest tenure of any Machine Head drummer.

The Machine Head Years

McClain remained with Machine Head through numerous stylistic and lineup changes.

He played drums on eight consecutive studio albums:

The More Things Change... (1997)
The Burning Red (1999)
Supercharger (2001)
Through the Ashes of Empires (2003)
The Blackening (2007)
Unto the Locust (2011)
Bloodstone & Diamonds (2014)
Catharsis (2018)

After Logan Mader left in 1998, McClain continued through the Ahrue Luster era and the subsequent arrival of Phil Demmel.

Together with Flynn, Duce and Demmel, McClain was part of the lineup responsible for Machine Head's major creative resurgence during the 2000s.

Songwriting

McClain's contribution to Machine Head extended beyond drumming.

He regularly brought guitar riffs and musical ideas into the band's songwriting process.

Flynn has credited McClain with originating important riffs for songs including "Imperium", "Descend the Shades of Night" and "Halo".

McClain also received official songwriting credits on Machine Head material, including songs on The Blackening.

His combination of precision, speed and groove became a major component of Machine Head's sound.

The Blackening

Machine Head released The Blackening in 2007.

McClain's drumming became particularly prominent on the album's longer and more technically demanding compositions.

Despite the complexity of the material, McClain later recalled completing the principal drum recording sessions in only a few days.

The album resulted in extensive international touring and became one of the defining releases of McClain's Machine Head career.

Final Years with Machine Head

Founding bassist Adam Duce left Machine Head in 2013 and was replaced by Jared MacEachern.

McClain subsequently became the band's second-longest-serving member behind Flynn.

He appeared on Bloodstone & Diamonds in 2014 and Catharsis in 2018.

In September 2018, Machine Head announced that both McClain and guitarist Phil Demmel would leave the band following the completion of the North American tour.

Their final performance as members took place at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, California, on November 24, 2018.

McClain's departure ended a Machine Head career lasting almost twenty-three years.

Return to Sacred Reich

Only weeks after completing his final Machine Head tour, McClain returned to Sacred Reich.

His return was officially announced in December 2018.

Sacred Reich subsequently recorded Awakening, released in August 2019, marking McClain's first new studio album with the band since the material recorded for Heal more than two decades earlier.

McClain has continued performing and recording with Sacred Reich, reconnecting him with the band he had left immediately before joining Machine Head in 1995.

Legacy

Dave McClain's nearly twenty-three-year tenure makes him by far the longest-serving drummer in Machine Head's history.

From The More Things Change... through Catharsis, his drumming and songwriting contributed to eight consecutive Machine Head studio albums and several distinct eras of the band's career.

His arrival in December 1995 also brought stability to a drum position that had passed through Chris Kontos and temporary touring replacements Walter Ryan and Will Carroll during the Burn My Eyes touring cycle.