Guitarist Reece Scruggs has confirmed that he is no longer a member of Machine Head, which he joined in 2022. Reece Scruggs made the announcement in an Instagram post, reported Oct. 22 by Metal Injection and Lambgoat. Metal Injection reports that he stepped away to be with his father following a diagnosis.
Reece Scruggs’ Statement on Leaving Machine Head
Scruggs wrote that Robb Flynn recently flew him to a San Francisco 49ers game so he could close out his time with the band on a good note. “Despite the score I had the time of my life and I could not be more grateful for the experience,” he wrote, adding that it “was a blast hanging with everyone at the Niner tailgate.”
“This trip was more than just about a football game though,” he wrote. He recalled the last time he had been face to face with Flynn: “I told him I had to go home and be with him,” Scruggs wrote of his father. “I had Robb’s support and understanding before I could get the words out.”
“Being an actual member, touring the world, and releasing a record with Machine Head is a badge of honor I will carry with me forever, and the band and crew will always have my support,” he wrote. Of Flynn, he said: “Robb Flynn had my back and supported me in the darkest time in my life.” He closed with: “And with that, a chapter has ended. Time to turn the page.”
Machine Head drummer Matt Alston commented on the post, “Love ya, bro,” according to Metal Injection. Lambgoat says Scruggs described the split as amicable.
Months Away From the Stage
Scruggs stepped back from live shows in the summer of 2025 but remained an official member, according to Metal Injection. He played on the band’s 11th album, “UNATØNED,” released in 2025 through Nuclear Blast. Lambgoat reports that he joined the band after Wacław “Vogg” Kiełtyka of Decapitated, who had previously replaced Phil Demmel.
Several guitarists filled in during his absence. Lambgoat lists Vogg, Ben Eller and Zack Ohren at various points, and says Machine Head also played seven shows as a three-piece in 2026. ThePRP reported on June 4 that Eller was joining the band’s U.S. run with Killswitch Engage, with Flynn announcing it on June 3. According to ThePRP, Machine Head confirmed in the comments of that announcement that Eller was filling in for Scruggs. The site noted that his absence had not been publicly addressed at that time.
What Machine Head Has Said
Neither report includes a statement from Flynn about the exit. On Oct. 10, he posted a message on Machine Head’s website titled “The End of an Era,” saying the band was closing the UNATØNED chapter and taking time off. “And then, when the time is right… We’ll figure out the future,” he wrote. In the same post, he thanked “Reece, Vogg, and Ben Eller for everything they brought to this album cycle,” adding, “We couldn’t have done it without you.”
No replacement for Scruggs has been announced, and none of the sources reviewed mention one.
Havok and San Diego
Before Machine Head, Reece Scruggs was Havok’s lead guitarist and backing vocalist for 14 years, from 2010 to 2024, according to Metal Injection. Havok is on the road now. The Denver band’s U.S. tour began Oct. 21 in Salt Lake City and has no San Diego date, as SDMETAL reported in its coverage of the tour’s opening night and the Hellripper visa delay.
Songkick lists no upcoming Machine Head concerts, so no San Diego or Southern California date is currently on the books. The band’s most recent California stop was Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on June 25, according to ThePRP’s tour list.
SDMETAL