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EYEHATEGOD
A History Of Nomadic Behavior
Century Media

Music is certainly a catalyst to create a reaction, change in mood and plain simply said, FEEL. To be more specific, most Metal and Rock creates a unique feeling that I believe can’t be felt by any other genre. It’s easy for me to go into a tangent and talk about how non rock/metal fans view said type of music, but I won’t. In Metal and Rock, many bands are a reflection of society, their origin, where they are from. Without this reflection, a band wouldn’t sound the same had they came from anywhere else. Now New Orleans is ripe with music history, in addition to historical tragedies and all this is just enough material to influence the bands that have and haven’t survived through the hardship. The NOLA scene, as its labeled, has given birth to some of the heaviest in Sludge and Doom Metal such as SOILENT GREEN and CROWBAR just to name a few. Now as evident by their 2014’s self-titled comeback album, EYEHATEGOD once again dared release more of their traumatic sound earlier this month of March (2021) through their legacy label Century Media with A History Of Nomadic Behavior to demonstrate that they are one group that has stood the test of time.

A combination of slow grind and bluesy riffs along with vocals that are expressed with the strain and stress displaying the toll that life has taken on it, is the closest I can describe the focus of what EYEHATEGOD is all about. A blend of crust punk, grind and sludge doom that could peak into the dark corner of your psyche. As only the 6th album to date and a variety of split EP’s throughout the decades, you get 12 tracks of that textbook haphazard hardcore sound they’re known for. More akin to their groundbreaking and favorite among many, 1993’s Take As Needed For Pain, not as laid back as 96’s Dopesick but it definitely contains a lot of the blues-laden, and sometimes swing, flow. My personal favorite album is Confederacy Of Ruined Lives but on A History Of Nomadic Behavior, it’s a lesson in tolerance as it spurs a dark perception within the listener, and vocalist Mike IX Williams certainly knows all about that. “To a certain extent, we thrive on being miserable… Sometimes you just hate everything and for some strange reason we’re motivated by that vibe.”

He exclaims. Testing your stress boundaries between the sustained ringing of the guitar and William’s spoken/yelled words, you hang on every lyric and every riff that EYEHATEGOD has to offer here. While the music still holds its weight after all these years, William’s lyrical approach and recording is much more intelligible here and it’s important to take notice of the words he’s saying as this album is fueled by the turmoil that had effected them and the world, not just over the years, but this past year. Non rock and metal fans would not have any clue as to the emotion this music conjures up in us. The stereotype that it’s “evil” or negative is their popular and uninformed opinion. The world is evil and negative. EHG and A History Of Nomadic Behavior is but a reflection and an expression of emotion through their art.

Contributing to this kind of focus on the new album is newest member, drummer Aaron Hill, bassist Gary Mader who makes his sophomore return and with the departure of long-standing guitarist William Brian Patton (SOILENT GREEN), that leaves the groups other veteran, Bower Power himself, guitarist Jimmy Bower (credits also include drums for DOWN, SUPERJOINT/SUPERJOINT RITUAL and many more). A History Of Nomadic Behavior is also a reflection of the coping with the death of long-time drummer Joey LaCaze who passed away in 2013 but not before he was able to complete is work on EHG’s 2014 self-titled album. This new record honors his legacy as Williams, Bower and the new crew continue to stomp their way back into the conversation of one of Sludge’s greatest bands still going strong.

4.0 Out Of 5.0