Riff Police! Pull Over! #92: Forbidden Vs Machine Head!

Formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil and laterly renamed Forbidden, a San Francisco Bay area Thrash Metal act was founded by Jim Pittman and guitarist Robb Flynn, who went on to join Vio-Lence and then Machine Head. They had numerous line up changes over the years they were active and have had both Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph and Strapping Young Lad drummer Gene Hoglan in their ranks at various points before calling it a night in 2011. We’re going to focus on their cult classic album “Forbidden Evil” which was released in 1988 via the legendary Combat Records. Robb Flynn was credited with writing both “Chalice of Blood“, “As Good As Dead” and title track “Forbidden Evil” though he never played on the album itself, while Paul Bostaph recorded the drums. Guitarist Glen Alvelais also jumped ship after recording the album, to join Testament with Bostaph. So you get that Forbidden had revolving door of members. Fast forward 19 years to 2007 and “Aesthetics Of Hate” by Machine Head from them brilliant album “The Blackening“. A retaliation to an article by William Grim for the web site Iconoclast about Pantera guitarist Dimebag Abbott and at the time Flynn said it owed a debt to Exodus for its Bay Area Thrash vibe. That it may do, but we think it sounds like Flynn repeated his earlier writings in “Forbidden Evil” unintentionally…