Watch: MACHINE HEAD’s ROBB FLYNN Joins FORBIDDEN On Stage At Second Christmas Concert In San Francisco

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn joined FORBIDDEN on stage this past Friday (December 22) at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California to perform the FORBIDDEN classic “Chalice Of Blood”. Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Flynn was a founding member of FORBIDDEN, which was originally called FORBIDDEN EVIL, and co-wrote the band’s songs “Chalice Of Blood”, “Forbidden Evil” and “As Good As Dead”, but left before the recording of FORBIDDEN‘s debut album, “Forbidden Evil”, to join VIO-LENCE.

FORBIDDEN was formed in 1985 when drummer Jim Pittman and decided to start a band. Guitarist Craig Locicero, who was friendly with Flynn at the time, recalled his first impressions upon seeing the still-unnamed group in action. “I was 15 at the time, and I’ll never forget the first time I went down to check them out and I saw Russ [Anderson] sing,” Craig told Revolver. “He was a big, gigantic bleach-blonde guy — just monstrous. I watched them do ‘Hell Bent For Leather’, ‘Restless And Wild’ and ‘Am I Evil?’ and I just sat there thinking to myself, I’ve got to be in this band. I’d never seen anyone sing like that right in front of my face. Russ was just incredible.”

Regarding FORBIDDEN‘s early days, Craig told Revolver: “It was Robb, Russ, Jim and John Tegio on bass, but they weren’t really a band yet — they had no original songs, and they were ping-ponging back and forth between a few different names. Once we moved everything over to my garage and started practicing, we became a band and settled on the name FORBIDDEN EVIL.”

FORBIDDEN was the support act for DEATH ANGEL at the latter band’s two Christmas concerts on Thursday, December 21 and Friday, December 22 at The Great American Music Hall.

The new FORBIDDEN lineup — consisting of Locicero (guitar),Matt Camacho (bass) and Steve Smyth (guitar),alongside the group’s latest additions, Norman Skinner (vocals) and Chris Kontos (drums) — made its live debut at a “secret” show in July at Baltic Kiss in Richmond, California under the TWISTED INTO EVIL banner.

When FORBIDDEN‘s “rebirth” was first announced in April, Locicero said in a statement: “First off, I did NOT see this coming. When FORBIDDEN quietly disbanded the second time in 2012, I figured it was over. While I always apply the ‘never say never’ mantra to my life, Russ made it clear that he was completely finished with touring. My wingman and main dude from the conception of FORBIDDEN EVIL, Russ was my mentor and the guy who bought me beer when I was 15! I couldn’t imagine FORBIDDEN without him, so I had little hope of a future with FORBIDDEN. Today Russ is happily retired and living the sober life. I have nothing but love for that and him. Everyone needs to respect his wishes like we do.

“So then ….. fast forward 11 years after our last show, Bay Area vocal talent Norman Skinner walks in to help us rehearse and sing a few thrash classics for the BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL set at Dynamo MetalFest 2022. WHAMMO! That’s when it all happened by accident. Truly. Then it happens AGAIN when Norman sings ‘Chalice Of Blood’ onstage alongside WARBRINGER at the one Bay Area show of BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL. Holy fuck!”

Regarding FORBIDDEN‘s plans for new music, Locicero recently told BLABBERMOUTH.NET: “‘Forbidden Evil’ is an anomaly. We didn’t think about it too much. I think I can land on point when I say this: It’s going to be somewhere between ‘Twisted Into Form’ and ‘Omega Wave’. I’m leaning into those ‘Twisted Into Form’ arrangements and most of what I’ve been writing is in E [guitar tuning]. I’m also going to have songs that drop down [in tuning], like ‘Omega Wave’ and possibly lower. I want this album to have peaks and valleys and an emotional landscape that you can follow. It has to feel like a story, even though it’s not going to be a concept album. It has to be on vinyl. It has to come out on all the formats and the digital bullshit. It has to be everything that made records great. It’s going to be all the shit I never got to do. I feel really confident about it. I’ve started writing a bunch of stuff. I’ve got more riffs than these guys have caught onto because we keep doing shows. I hope to have it recorded by this time next year to have it ready in the first half of 2025.”

When FORBIDDEN EVIL was first formed nearly 40 years ago, the quintet started playing house parties and Bay Area clubs such as the legendary Ruthie’s Inn soon after. After a couple of lineup changes (Paul Bostaph on drums and Matt Camacho on bass) in ’86, the band quickly rose through the ranks of Bay Area thrash to gain a massive following and worldwide notoriety. In 1986, the band added Glen Alvelais as the second guitarist. It was this lineup that cemented itself into the Bay Area scene and soon after recorded 1988 release “Forbidden Evil” for Combat Records, changing the band’s name to simply FORBIDDEN. In May of ’89 while on a European tour with SACRED REICH, FORBIDDEN made their first appearance at the legendary Dynamo Open Air in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It was here that FORBIDDEN made their European mark and recorded the “Raw Evil” EP. The band returned Stateside and replaced Alvelais with Tim Calvert. Calvert was a missing ingredient that brought the band closer together as a team. They continued to tour the U.S. first with EXODUS and then again with SACRED REICH with Calvert on second guitar. The band went on to release “Twisted Into Form” in 1990, “Distortion” in 1994 and “Green” in 1996. However, the band, having gone though many lineup changes, disbanded in 1997.

In 2008 Craig being inspired at a screening of the movie “Get Thrashed”, called the other members of the band and suggested getting back on stage to see if they could reignite the FORBIDDEN machine. With Anderson, Locicero, Camacho back in the mix along with new additions Glen Alvelais and Gene Hoglan they played two sold-out DEATH ANGEL shows in San Francisco. Steve Smyth came into the mix in place of Alvelais and Mark Hernandez took Hoglan‘s place. The band then released “Omega Wave”, the fifth in the catalog and went on a U.S. tour with OVERKILL. European festivals were next but afterwards Hernandez had to walk away due to personal reasons leading to a tour cancelation. Sasha Horn was the answer to fill the drummer’s spot.

After playing “Bonded By Baloff” with EXODUS and one Bay Area show, FORBIDDEN embarked for Chile to play the Metal Fest in Santiago. It was on this flight back home that Russ informed the band that he couldn’t tour anymore because of the physical toll it was taking on him. With that, the band dissolved once again for 11 years.