MACHINE HEAD have recruited guitarist BEN ELLER for their ongoing June 2026 North American co-headline run with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Eller, widely known as a guitar educator on YouTube and as the touring six-stringer for MASTODON following Brent Hinds' departure in early 2025, played his first full show with the band June 3 at The Fillmore in Detroit, Michigan.
His recruitment came under time pressure. Frontman ROBB FLYNN acknowledged the challenge before the Detroit gig: "Tonight's gonna be the first full show that he does with the band...we've been throwing a lot of songs at him, and he's had a very short amount of time to learn it all." Eller had debuted with the final three songs of a Pittsburgh show two nights earlier on June 1, before stepping up to the full set in Detroit.
The slot opened after guitarist REECE ALAN SCRUGGS stepped back from summer 2025 European dates to care for his father. Previous fill-ins included producer ZACK OHREN and DECAPITATED's WACŁAW KIEŁTYKA — evidence of the band's ability to draw on a deep network of respected metal musicians when needed.
For ELLER, the MACHINE HEAD run adds another high-profile chapter to an already eclectic career. His YouTube channel — dedicated to guitar technique and theory — has built a significant following in the metal community, and his live work with MASTODON demonstrated he can hold his own in the heaviest rooms. Stepping into MACHINE HEAD's catalog, including brutal set staples like "Davidian," "Imperium," and "Halo," in front of arena-sized crowds represents his most demanding assignment yet.
The KILLSWITCH ENGAGE / MACHINE HEAD co-headline tour continues through June 2026.