Biography
Singer and guitarist Phil Taylor, a native of Buffalo who moved to San Francisco after finishing high school, fronted the alternative metal band Future Leaders of the World. He met Mike Flynn at a Puddle of Mudd show; Flynn later became the group’s manager and funded Taylor’s initial three-song demo. Back in Buffalo, Taylor launched the band’s first lineup alongside bassist Toby Cole and drummer Carl Messina. The three members drove from coast to coast to lay down tracks in Los Angeles, yet mounting creative differences prompted Cole’s departure. By late 2003, bassist Bill Hershey and lead guitarist Jake Stutevoss had joined, enabling Flynn to secure a contract with Epic Records. The following autumn the band issued its debut album, LVL IV (also known as “Level Four”), but an already packed touring slate that encompassed several Sno-Core Tour dates was cut short when Epic announced plans to drop the act, prompting the group’s dissolution. After relocating to Little Rock, AR, Taylor rebuilt Future Leaders of the World in 2005, recruiting former Evanescence members John LeCompt on guitar and Rocky Gray on drums along with guitarist Jack Wiese and bassist Thad Ables. The refreshed lineup eventually took the name Machina.
Albums
