Review Summary: The 4th album from the 5-piece Lousiana outfit delivers.
Eyehategod is somewhat hard to dissect when it comes to describing their music. A loose interpretation of it might be Sludge Metal with some Southern Rock thrown into the mix. But in a genre that bends rules and defies labels, anything goes. This band is the absolute epitome of Sludge Metal. In every way shape and form, this is what the genre should be. Dark, heavy, slow, and effective. The 4th album from the 5-piece Louisiana outfit delivers.
Revelation/Revolution is the strong opener. It probably the heaviest, sludgiest track on the album. Its slow detuned riffs are deeply rooted in their earlier releases. It absolutely showcases what this band is all about. The thick, muffled guitars are achieve a tone so perfect, so distorted, that it can only be summed up with one adjective:
beastly. A strangely clean bass tone adheres the wall of sound with a tight, industrial strength groove. While somewhat simple in technical value, it is all is needed, and doesn’t sound forced or overly flashy. Though hidden behind behemoths of guitars, the bass of Eyehategod’s music isn’t left in a corner to rot. On the contrary, it is an extremely vital and utilized tool in the muddy goop that is Eyehategod.
As previously mentioned, this band is from Louisiana, and are not afraid to show it.
99 Miles Of Bad Road and
Blood Money show the tattered confederate flag on EHG’s puke-stained shirts. While the music does have a little more than pinch of Southern Rock mixed in with the overall slimy Sludge sound, it isn’t overdone, nor does it sound out of place. A perfect balance of Southern styled rock and pounding Sludge is formed, and it is quite gripping. Once you start the album, it will be difficult to press the pause button. The engaging sound is part of what makes
Confederacy Of Ruined Lives such an immense album to tear through.
The other instruments on this album are nothing to sneeze at. The drumming is precise and on beat, with varying tempos and techniques throughout the album. Like the songs themselves, the beats are generally slow and heavy, with a few occasional passages of speed that are few and between. Mike Williams’s soaring shrieks wouldn’t be out of place on a black metal demo, but sound right at home where they are. Droning deep chords and occasional speedy pull-offs (that Southern Rock influence) combined with shrill feedback and off beat scales sum up the guitar passages quite nicely. Make no mistake, these guys are not slackers when it comes to their music, no matter how slow and seemingly easy their riffs sound (see:
Corruption Scheme)
To some fans of Sludge who might be bothered by the Southern Rock sound on the album, do not fear.
Inferior And Full Of Anxiety,
Revelation/Revolution, and
Jackass In The Will Of God all include some of the heaviest, most dingy sounding riffs to ever grace my ears. This is most defiantly Sludge, folks. No way around it, Eyehategod is an incredible Sludge Metal band. My end thought on this album is this: it is a powerful, dark, dank album. Anyone who is remotely into Sludge should absolutely check it out, along with
Take As Needed For Pain, both of which ought to go down in history as total classics in the genre. This album is a great place to start if you want to start getting into slower, more absorbent music, or if you just want a good ol’ fun album to listen to, after all, that is what Eyehategod set out to accomplish with each an every one of their albums.
So all of you who enjoy this music, make sure to check Eyehategod’s entire catalog out. It is certainly worth your time (and possibly money) to do so.
Pro’s[+]
Sludgy mess, but so true to the EHG sound
Vocals are strong
Bass is obvious
Diverse in its own special Southern way
Con’s[-]
.001%
A few songs aren’t quite as powerful as others
Recommended Tracks
Blood Money
Revelation/Revolution
99 Miles Of Bad Road
Inferior And Full Of Anxiety
