History & Biography EyeHateGod plays sludgy doom rock and hails from Louisiana. The band was first signed to France's Intellectual Convulsion who had begun mailing out promo advances and bios of the band when Century Media became interested in the act. With the lawyers unleashed on the small French label, Eyehategod shifted to Century Media and released its debut. Prior to this, the band had released several demos in the late eighties including Lack Of Almost Everything and Garden Dwarves. In the nineties the band opened for bands like COC, Godflesh and Obituary and the members participated in projects with friends and family. Singer Williams was appointed by Metal Maniacs editor (and his girlfriend) as Associate Editor and went on to jointly make enough enemies to last a lifetime. The two had banned most metal from the magazine and proceeded to promote drugs, hardcore and feminism. In 1997, the band toured with Pantera and White Zombie. A compilation of odds and ends called Southern Discomfort was released in 2000. The band had spent the two-year period after Dopesick accusing Century Media of dishonesty in the media and finally (and not for the first time) there were reports the band had disbanded. Yet rising from the fumes again, EHG is back and releasing albums and touring. The last three stops of the band's summer of 2005 *Preaching the *End-Time* Message* tour was cancelled due to "logistical reasons." The band apologized to the promoters and fans that were looking forward to seeing the band in Birmingham, Hickory and Johnson City. Preaching The End-Time Message was an odds and ends album release.
The band and Century Media parted ways in late 2002. The band's singer Mike Williams was jailed once again for violating conditions of his probation in the summer of 2005. The band announced its intention to release a two-disc album to raise funds for his defense. The band would re-issue the rare 99 Miles Of Bad Road 7” EP on CD through Canada's Moshpit Tragedy Records in late 2006. Emetic Records released a Brutal Truth/Total Fucking Destruction split 7” of Eyehategod covers to benefit Eyehategod and help the band replace gear lost in hurricane Katrina.
Outlaw Order signed with Season Of Mist in 2008. Confederacy Of Ruined Lives Eyehategod 's fourth studio album from 2000 was re-released by the vinyl-only imprint I'm Better Than Everyone Records in 2009. This release was available on Tuesday, October 22nd and would be available in two versions. The main edition was hand numbered and limited to 400 on thick black vinyl. There was also a limited edition of 100 hand numbered copies on white vinyl with tan and black splatter. Mike Williams was the author of Cancer As A Social Activity: Affirmations Of World's End in 2009 and issued a single 7” through Chrome Peeler Records. He was called MIKE IX now. Eyehategod played a special one-off show on May 7th at Emo's in Austin, Texas where they played the band’s first two full-length albums, namely In The Name Of Suffering and Take As Needed For Pain, from start to finish. The band was touring the USA with Nachtmystium. Eyehategod would head out on another American trek in December of 2010 “in support of absolutely nothing...” The band would be supported by Phobia. Eyehategod would release a live DVD on March 22nd, 2011 through MVD. Simply titled Live, the 88-minute production featured footage from 2009 (Baltimore, MD) and 2010 (Cleveland, OH), with bonus clips from the last show of the band’s 2010 European tour. The band was touring Europe under the Europe Is The New Vietnam Tour 2012 monicker that July. The band was planning on touring the USA that autumn. The band would tour Europe in the summer of 2013. The tour would kick off on July 19th in Warsaw, Poland and conclude August 20th in Toulouse, France. The band announced ‘25th Anniversary Shows’ in the US for the autumn of 2013 following its run of European dates. In the summer of 2013, Joey LaCaze, drummer for Eyehategod and Outlaw Order, died at age 42 years old. Cause of death was given as “respiratory failure.” Melvins' drummer Dale Crover was stepping in to drum for Eyehategod at The Housecore Horror Film Festival (HHFF) following the death of the drummer for the latter band, Joey LaCaze. Eyehategod’s new drummer was Aaron Hill. The Missing Monuments man replaced the dead Joey LaCaze. Eyehategod announced 25 Years Of Dysfunctional Family Abuse Tour 2014, which included five Australian dates, was derailed when the band was left stranded at the airport. The band was blaming the Australian promoter. The band would release a new full-length in May of 2014. Financed by the band, the self-titled, eleven-track long player would be released through Housecore Records in North America. On the heels of the recent cancellation of its Australian tour, Eyehategod also cancelled its three-day run through Mexico. In an official statement, the band claimed: "We regret to have to cancel both our Australian and Mexican dates until further notice. Vocalist Mike IX Williams' mental stability and health are major serious issues at this point, and we are very, very sorry ..." In what was becoming a routine Eyehategod cancelled its September 2015 shows. The band offered no explanations. Phil Anselmo (Down, Superjoint, Scour etc.) filled in for Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams on two shows. The first one was at Southport Music Hall in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 19th and the second at the 2016 edition of Gwar BQ in Richmond, Virginia on August 20th. Williams was dealing with “health issues.” Eyehategod was not deterred by Anselmo’s recent racist attitude and utterings. Soon Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God would fill in for Mike IX Williams on the band's tour with Discharge and Toxic Holocaust. According to his wife, Mike Williams needed to urgently undergo a lifesaving liver transplant. They launched a crowdfunding appeal. The band was back playing shows with singer Mike IX Williams by March, 2017. Brian Patton stepped down from the band after some 25 years. He cited the need to be with his family including children and a move to North Carolina to take care of his in-laws. The band was touring with Corrosion Of Conformity and Black Label Society as a quartet. The band was also booked at Heavy Montreal. Mike IX Williams and right-wing Arkansas, USA senator Jason Rapert traded barbs and accusations in 2019. The singer objected to the man’s crusade against women’s choice, and other policies, while the Republican senator asked the venue of the band’s show in Arkansas to cancel the show and violate the First Amendment of the former US constitution. Eyehategod drummer Aaron Hill was robbed prior to the band’s gig in Mexico. He was wounded with a knife and the band cancelled the show. Eyehategod guitarist Jimmy Bower would not join the act for its late 2019 tour in order to undergo surgery on his right arm. Back in was former guitarist Brian Patton.
The gang was back on Century Media Records in 2020 and was to issue a new album entitled A History Of Nomadic Behavior in the spring of 2021. Deadlight Records was Birth Ritual Records as of 2021. The label’s first release was A History Of Nomadic Behavior on cassette. Eyehategod, Come To Grief, Snafu and Escuela Grind had a mini-tour of the USA in May 2022. Eyehategod would play a concert at Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Philly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA in April 2023. Other acts appearing were Gorguts, Incantation and Suicidal Tendencies.The band was also playing the Take As Needed For Pain album of 1993 in its entirety at Decibel Metal & Beer Fest.
The group would tour the USA for its 30 Years of Take As Needed For Pain tour. Goatwhore opened. Guitarist Brian Patton re-joined the band for its 30th anniversary Take As Needed For Pain concert at Decibel Metal & Beer Fest on April 15th 2023. The band was a quintet again. Another tour with Goatwhore was booked for the UK and Ireland for 2024. Soulfly's Superstition USA tour came with support from Eyehategod (October 22 - November 6), Mutilation Barbecue and Skinflint in 2024. Eyehategod and Soulfly were both booked for Lamb Of God's 2024 cruise. Eyehategod and openers Exhorder were touring the USA in August 2024.
Reviews EYEHATEGOD - SOUTHERN DISCOMFORT - CENTURY MEDIA
If I were asked to cite an example of a band that I could say with certainty I despise, the first name (or maybe second after Pantera) that would come to mind would be Eyehategod. Everything is wrong with these no-talents. Firstly their name is the most retarded non-play on words ever. Then there is the memory that recalls how the band signed a contract with Intellectual Convulsion (Acrostichon, Disgrace, etc) at the beginning of their career only to get the scum lawyers involved and break contract - before giving the label anything - as soon as Century Media arrives. Can you say capitalist scum? And then the same mob pretends to be so down-to-earth, green, etc. Read: the band is one big junkie collective. Something which is very apparent from their loose collection of Melvins rip off riffs - an absolute non-event. Of course karma being the mother of all destinies, the band allegedly gets ripped off by Century Media and spends two years bad mouthing the same label. Yes folks, life is sweet. The only good news was report of the band's long-awaited demise last year. Something which apparently has sadly since been nixed. Whatever the case, this compilation of drug-induced rubbish doesn't even qualify as a coaster in Metallian Towers. Absolutely unessential.
EYEHATEGOD - LIVE (DVD) - MVD VISUAL 
A sludgefest to be sure, Live features a raw visual of Eyehategod. The underground feel fits the band and the style well but this is sometimes of questionable quality and one that doesn't necessarily translate well to a DVD. An interested viewer or fan is perhaps best served watching the band live to better experience the raw heaviness that is Eyehategod. This DVD even goes as far as tout its 'multi-camera' feature. In 2011 such a statement is somewhat too silly to use especially if the intention is to present it as a positive feature of a DVD(?). Of course this may enhance or emphasis a band's underground credentials but Eyehategod, for all it is, is a band that released an album on Century Media almost two decades ago now.
Live features 25 songs recorded at three shows in 2009 and 2010. The shows in question occurred in Cleveland, Baltimore and Vienna, Austria in front of small but enthusiastic crowds. Three bonus promo videos for Sister Fucker, Anxiety Hangover and Age Of Bootcamp add shock value and compliment live performances of oldies like $30 Bag, Shoplift, Depress and Shinobi and less oldies like Blood Money and Jack Ass In The Will Of God. - Anna Tergel
Interviews
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