The band formed in 1988, led by guitarist Jimmy Bower and drummer Joe LaCraze, bringing in Michael D. Williams on vocals, Brian Patton on lead guitar and Steve Dale on the bass. After releasing some early demos, they recorded their debut album, "In The Name of Suffering," in 1992, released on French label, Intellectual Convulsion. This was followed by 1993's "Take As Needed For Pain," featuring new bassist Mark Schultz. However, after substantial touring, Eyehategod went on a hiatus, with Bower made busy with commitments to Crowbar and Down.
The band briefly returned to release their third album, "Dopesick" in 1996, before falling quiet once again until the end of the decade. The band recorded several new singles which were compiled in 2000 on "Southern Discomfort," also including live recordings. This new release gave them impetus to complete another full studio album, "Confederacy of Ruined Lives," that same year, before again embarking on nationwide tours.
The band fell quiet once again, although still continued to perform intermittently. It was not until 2005 that new material was released, "Preaching the 'End-Time' Message," another compilation album in the same vein as "Southern Discomfort. In the following years the band continued to performat major festivals and embark on tours, celebrating their 20 year anniversary in 2008. It was not until 2014 that Eyehategod brought forth their fans new music, with their self-titled album, their first for nearly ten years.
Sludge metal is a genre that requires an acquired taste, but in my opinion Eyehategod are relatively versatile, mainly due to their status as one of the most well known and prestigious bands of the genre. The lights were out, and the feedback from the guitar washed over the auditorium before the band ran onstage with their instruments, ready to bring the house down.
They opened the show with a lengthy instrumental track, that demonstrated the sheer talent of every musician in the band, as they powered through complex guitar solos, challenging time signatures, and incredibly fast beats, whilst staying tight as a unit. It was evident that they’ve been playing together for years through their tight format, and their communication on stage.
They played through a variety of their hits from their older material, and journeyed right through to their self titled album from 2014. Their performance value was great, jumping, running, and head banging across the stage, despite their age. They put on an incredible show, and interacted well with us in the crowd, shouting to sing and dance along, and they even took song requests towards the end of the show. It really was a wonderful presentation of talented musicians and great writing.
yazhow
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