EYEHATEGOD
The Fleece, Bristol.
31st July 2013
EYEHATEGOD bring their special version of “classic Sabbath inspired hardcore sludge” to The Fleece in Bristol, and properly tear the city a new one. Again.
New Orleans’ finest assault weapon, EYEHATEGOD, are back in Bristol as part of their ‘Undermining societies rules since 1988’ tour of European cities and venues. It’s been a year since they came over last time and despite no album to promote, they are pulling in the crowds and are sounding more and more intense than ever.
On stage, the band are taking things easy, looking around, taking stock, chatting to well wishers and hecklers, comfortable to let the dust settle so they can get the lay of the land and decide how they are going to take the task at hand. Guitarist, Jimmy Bower’s demonic beard and nimble fingers light the fuse and with an explosion of sound, EYEHATEGOD truly astound. It’s the heavy low rumblings of the rhythm section that get you in the gut but when the singer, Mike IX Williams, joins Jimmy’s torrid chords and starts ‘singing’, the bowels of Hell open up.
They begin with one of their newer songs, ‘New Orleans Is The New Vietnam’ which they have been playing for well over a year now. It’s the groove-laden slab of EYG we have all come to love. No matter how heavy and chaotic they get “The Blues” isn’t far behind. This song has considerable poignance as many of the members had first hand experiences of the devastation due to hurricane katrina. Another new song, ‘ Medicine Noose’ isn’t far behind and is a slower groovier affair until they break into the verse with punk abandon.
Their set tonight includes all the usual suspects, ‘White Nigger’ sounds particularly brutal as the crowd’s fire is fueled. ‘30$ Bag’ is a sludgecore masterstroke, slow and intense, building to an orgasmic final note. ‘Sisterfucker’ gets one of the best responses with the crowd going apeshit. ‘Jackass In The Will Of God’ is one of my highlights this evening. The riff sounds as massive as Grand Canyon. They even play a between song cover of The Butthole Surfers song, ‘Cherub’.
What is apparent tonight is that EYEHATEGOD are really getting their shit together. Even without a new album the crowds keep coming to see them and that I feel is partly due to their passion and conviction. Mike is the mouth but Jimmy is the heart of the band, getting everyone amped up and peaking. The new album is due out at the end of the year and from this evening’s performance it is going to be the classic Sabbath inspired hardcore sludge we are all hoping it to be. Thing is though, it isn’t until you see them live that it will make perfect sense.
See them, you know it makes sense.
All words by Philip Allen. You can read more from him in his author archive.
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