Read the excerpt from the song
Machine Head's new single, "Is There Anybody Out There?", which was released on digital platforms today, includes a line that takes a jab at Phil Anselmo.
The lyrics reference the events of February, when during a concert Phil Anselmo made a Nazi salute and shouted "White Power," a slogan of the white supremacist movement. Robb Flynn of Machine Head was one of the first to criticize Anselmo's attitude at the time.
Robb Flynn posts video condemning Phil Anselmo's actions
The song, which can also be heard on the Sirius here all alone?”
In a free translation: “Choking on words and unable to breathe/ I stand here like a father, of men without honor/ Ashamed of the racists I called brothers/ Because no flag can signify courage/ when scarred by slavery/ The rebel, a devil, disguised as a savior/ And the sick feeling in the air/ is the fear of speaking what no one dares/ So will I stay here alone?”
Flynn confirmed that the words refer to Anselmo in a behind-the-scenes video of the song's production. The vocalist says: “We talked about it, 'does it fit here?' and 'does this need to be said?' (…) We risked losing the chance to get radio play because of it. We hope the quality of the song overcomes that.”