Reece Scruggs - Guitar

Reece Alan Scruggs was born in the United States in 1988. Before establishing himself as a member of Havok and later Machine Head, Scruggs was active in a number of lesser-known metal bands and projects.

Early Career

One of his earliest recorded appearances was with Go Smack Alice, playing lead guitar on the band's Slapped release in 2005.

He was also involved with Ecliptic and later played guitar with Monolith, appearing on the band's 2009 album Four.

These early projects helped establish Scruggs as a technically skilled guitarist before he joined the band that would define the first major chapter of his career.

Havok

In 2010, Scruggs joined Denver-based thrash metal band Havok, replacing guitarist Shawn Chavez.

As the band's lead guitarist and backing vocalist, Scruggs became an important part of Havok's sound and remained with the group for the next 14 years.

His first studio album with Havok was Time Is Up, released in 2011.

The album was followed by the Point of No Return EP in 2012 and the studio albums Unnatural Selection (2013), Conformicide (2017) and V (2020).

In addition to his lead guitar work, Scruggs contributed backing vocals and songwriting during his time with the band.

His final Havok release was the New Eyes EP in 2024.

First Connection with Machine Head

Scruggs' association with Machine Head began in late 2022.

Guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka was unable to participate in Machine Head's upcoming North American tour because of touring commitments with his main band, Decapitated.

Machine Head therefore recruited Scruggs as a temporary replacement.

Scruggs made his live debut with Machine Head on November 3, 2022, at Strummer's in Fresno, California, during the opening show of the Electric Happy Hour (Live) tour.

What initially began as a temporary position developed into an ongoing relationship with the band.

Scruggs returned for additional Machine Head performances when Vogg was unavailable, including shows during 2023.

Joining Machine Head

In February 2024, Vogg officially announced his departure from Machine Head.

With Scruggs already having proven himself during multiple tours and live appearances, he stepped into the position and became Machine Head's full-time guitarist.

For a period, Scruggs attempted to balance his commitments to both Machine Head and Havok.

However, the increasingly demanding schedules of the two bands eventually made that difficult.

Leaving Havok

In July 2024, Scruggs announced that he was leaving Havok after 14 years.

He explained that his availability had become increasingly limited and that he felt it would be unfair to remain only partially committed to the band.

The departure brought an end to one of the longest periods of his musical career and allowed him to focus fully on Machine Head.

UNATØNED

Scruggs subsequently became involved in the writing and recording of Machine Head's eleventh studio album, UNATØNED, released in April 2025.

The album marked his first studio album as a permanent member of Machine Head.

In addition to performing guitar on the album, Scruggs made significant songwriting contributions.

He received songwriting credits on several tracks, including "ATØMIC REVELATIØNS", "UNBØUND", "BØNESCRAPER", "SHARDS ØF SHATTERED DREAMS" and "SCØRN".

He also received lyrical credits on "ATØMIC REVELATIØNS" and "BØNESCRAPER".

Temporary Break from Touring

In the summer of 2025, Scruggs temporarily stepped away from touring with Machine Head after his father was diagnosed with lung cancer.

With the full support of the band, he remained at home to spend time with his family.

Former Machine Head guitarist Vogg returned to fill in for the majority of the European and UK dates, while longtime Machine Head producer Zack Ohren performed selected shows when Vogg was unavailable.

Scruggs remained an official member of Machine Head throughout this period.

Current Career

Reece Scruggs remains Machine Head's full-time guitarist and a contributing songwriter.

His career has progressed from underground metal projects and a 14-year period with Havok to becoming a permanent member of Machine Head.

What began as a temporary touring role in 2022 eventually developed into a full-time position, with Scruggs contributing both lead guitar and songwriting to the band's current era.