Band Members: Joe Cotela - Vocals Justyn Sena - Bass Matt Reinhard - Drums Marc Hernandez - Guitar Steve Siminski - Guitar Justyn Sena was working at a restaurant in Phoenix, AZ when fate struck one evening during closing time. While clearing a nearby table, Sena overheard a conversation between music executive Steve Kidd (Rage Against The Machine) and his wife. The three began talking, leading to a conversation about the band in which Justyn played bass, and they exchanged contact information before parting. Soon after this auspicious meeting, Justyn and his band mates found themselves in the studio recording several demos for Kidd, who then brought the tracks to Izzy Zivkovic (CEO, Split Media), and the two agreed to co-manage the band. The band recorded additional tracks and was soon approached by Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett of Mudvayne / HELLYEAH, who signed on to produce their album. With an experienced team of professionals behind them, Man Made Machine honed their craft to perfection, until they were ready to unleash their music to the world. Being in a band together was not a new concept to the members of MMM. Joe Cotela, Justyn Sena, Matt Reinhard, Marc Hernandez and Steve Siminski all met as far back as elementary school in their hometown of Phoenix, AZ, dreaming up idyllic plans of making it to the big leagues of hard rock and heavy metal by the time they were in Corona Del Sol High School. “Our first major band, The Cover Up, came together from two different bands,” states Sena. “A few of us were in one locally popular band, and a couple of us in another. We all knew coming together would be a good idea, and once we did that, everything made sense.” The Cover Up quickly gained recognition well beyond their local Phoenix area. Spreading their hardcore/pop-punk fusion sound and honest lyrics, the band toured the country with bands including Escape The Fate and Dr. Acula, and performed at festivals including Dirtfest where they shared the bill with metal groups such as Parkway Drive and Winds of Plague. The band grew tired of the copy-cat “scene music” they had been a part of as The Cover Up. It became clear that they needed to leave their old style behind and move forward with a sound truer to their nature. Alice In Chains, Nirvana, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses began to inspire the group of friends, and the hard rock influence quickly took shape in their songwriting. The band was now reborn as Man Made Machine. Fast forward to acquiring new management and working in the Mesa, AZ studio with Chad and Greg of Mudvayne / HELLYEAH, MMM narrowed their fifty-song repertoire into twelve solid active rock tracks for their September 2011 release, Become. The album was mixed by Jeremy Parker, known for his work with Evanescence and Godsmack. “It was an honor and a great learning experience to work with guys of their caliber,” states vocalist Joe Cotela. “We have all looked up to them for years now. They really brought out the next level in all of us as musicians.” Though approached by numerous labels, the band ultimately chose Razor & Tie as their new home. “We’re glad that we’ve been given an authentic opportunity for Man Made Machine. Razor & Tie is the record label we’ve always wanted,” affirms Sena. “The opportunities we’re getting out of our label and management now is indicative of the success that we’ve always desired as a band.” Become is a powerful, hard rock roller-coaster ride, soaring through diverse, yet autobiographical songs. “The lyrics are vulnerable. There are introspective lyrics, as well as lyrics that make you feel invincible,” explains Cotela. “There are also a handful of songs about partying and feeling like a badass. This is an honest record, not just on the sensitive tracks, but the party tracks as well. The album is reflective of the different sides of our personalities.” A combination of hard work, perseverance and good fortune has brought Man Made Machine to where they are now. “We always knew where we wanted to be today, and now we have a new lease on everything,” says Sena. “We knew that if we stuck it out, we would eventually get to this point; it was inevitable. If you don’t quit, you’ll get there. We never left an option open for ourselves to fail, and we’re in a good position now because of that.” Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.