MACHINE HEAD guitarist Reece Alan Scruggs will not be joining the band on their upcoming summer 2025 European and UK tour, as he takes time off to be with his father, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
The band shared the news in an emotional statement posted on social media: “It is with heavy hearts that MACHINE HEAD must announce that our bandmate and brother 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.”
Scruggs, who previously performed with HAVOK before joining MACHINE HEAD, also released a personal message addressing his decision: “With the support and understanding of Robb [Flynn, MACHINE HEAD frontman], 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.”
MACHINE HEAD reiterated their full support for Scruggs and asked fans to respect his privacy during this period: “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.”
To fill the temporary vacancy, the band has enlisted two musicians. Longtime friend and former bandmate Vogg (Wacław Kiełtyka) will join for the majority of the tour dates, while producer, collaborator, and DARKNESS EVERYWHERE member Zack Ohren will appear on select shows where Vogg is unavailable due to commitments with DECAPITATED.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover Reece‘s father’s medical and living expenses, and can be found at this location.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.