Did Machine Head Rip Off Devin Townsend?

By Damian Fanelli
published

Machine Head's Robb Flynn performs at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards show in Los Angeles.

Machine Head's Robb Flynn performs at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards show in Los Angeles. (Image credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Last Friday, Machine Head premiered their new single, "Beyond the Pale," the first taste of their new album, Catharsis. That very afternoon, however, rock fans started pointing out that the song's main riff bears a resemblance to Devin Townsend's riff from "Love?," a popular 2005 tune by Strapping Young Lad.

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Damian Fanelli
Damian Fanelli
Editor-in-Chief, Guitar World

Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.