The underground metal scene has a lot of “faces”. You know – names that hold a status that elevates them above their peers. Often these are bands that the mainstream rock-world scarcely notice – maybe see the logo on a tour poster as support for a mondo band that adorn the front of magazines. Those gods of the underworld though are held dear in the hearts of those that kick their heels in the still smoky and filth ridden venues beloved by so many music fans.
New Orleans Louisiana’s EyeHateGod are one such band. For the last 33 years they have been mixing up har, doom and brash metal to pollute the welcoming eardrums of the world and amongst other peers like Melvins et al, helping create the Sludge genre which has had a resurgence in recent years.
Due to illness, substance issues and incarceration the band disappeared for a long while re-emerging out of the swamps with the magnificent eponymous album in 2014. There followed some incredible shows throughout the world including a few that I was lucky enough to witness at a couple of Desertfests Then there was silence. For 7 years.
During this time frontman Mike Williams health took a downward turn and he underwent a liver transplant.
2021 sees a colossal bounce back with a new album and a new label (Century Media odd fit?).
Now, this album is not a part two of “Eyehategod” from seven years ago. I was discussing this with friend of mine and he mentioned his disappointment that “A History of Nomadic Behaviour” did not burst out of the traps like its predecessor did with Agtation!Propaganda! . For him EHG has always been about Jimmy Bower’s gargantuan riffs and though they are definitely there on this new release they take a bit of a back seat. Don’t worry you could still bulldoze a large city with the riffs and the rumble off Gary Mader and Aaron Hill still picks off any survivors.
As if to show his new lase of life Mike Williams is up front and centre with his sneering acidic vocals punching though first and dragging his bandmates behind him.
Williams has always been a talented lyricist and a master of phrasing – his verses syncopate like a beat poet or MC at times before launching into punk mayhem and this album showcases his talents to the full. The start of the album feels like he is a middleweight boxer firing jabs at his opponent whilst his band mates support at his corner sending him out for each new round with another pummelling riff as backup. “Three Black Eyes” is a poignant track title.
The second half of the album see’s the band relaxing more and appears more even with all four brawlers taking to the centre of the squared circle. It is at this point that I am getting over the fact that this is new EHG and I am looking for a couple of really standout tracks to keep me humming for weeks on end.
They come thick and fast! “High Risk Trigger” has that big riff groove and punky payoff that made Dope Sick and Take As Needed For Pain such milestones in heavy music. This is the sound of America falling apart wrote loud!
“I wanna burn at the stake at the same time as Lady Liberty” “I’d rather be a corpse than a coward” just a couple of the opening lines from “The Trial of Jonny Cancer” which has the air of Woody Guthrie and Robert Johnson reborn as dirt sodden filth merchants whereas “Smokers Piece” is a 12 bar blues Jazz instrumental that could be straight-out of Dick Tracey.
“Circle of Nerves” stomps and snarls like a giant in fast setting cement swatting at a hornet. Which, by chance is usually how I am left in an EHG pit by song three.
I find with EHG there is often a song whereby the lyrics feel like Mike WIlliams is singing them straight to me, like a voice from a burning bush they resonate throughout my subconscious and conscious mind. On the last album it was Parish Motel Sickness but here it is the final track Every Thing, Every Day. A rage against the monotony of life, the treadmill that’s exacerbated by this bastard place. “Fight your way to work, fight your way to school”. This could become a crushing set closer and I hope to all that is unholy that we get to see the quartet play it live.
This album is not as immediately as quick to get the listener into bed as its predecessor but it certainly wooed me. I fill dirty, worn out but never ashamed.
(9/10 Matt Mason)
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