Filthy, dirty metal is making a triumphant return to the music scene and to Australia’s shores next year. For the followers of EyeHateGod it’s time to dig out the excitement tarps for a taste of what’s next.
The dirty, grimy and far less than pretty grooves of sludge metal combined with nudity, antics, a stage littered with fallen, passed out, bodies, are an incredibly stark contrast to the soft spoken southern drawl all American accent of EyehateGod’s guitarist and founding member Jimmy Bower.
He’s almost hard to hear and his laugh is close matches EyehateGod’s music. It’s thick and comes sporadically, firstly, when he assures me that he “doesn’t hate anyone.” While he clears then air about the band’s name.
“A friend had the idea” says Bower. “The idea is that people perceive God as drugs and money…hence the eye.”
It seems then, albeit in a round about way, somehow fitting to find out if Bower could be the most hated man in the world, what the reason would be. But he’s reasonable in his response and as he remarked later, “it’s all about jamming, it’s not about anything else.”
Nonetheless he says, “our name, I guess. That’s all there really is. Or the music, because what we do…is ugly sounding.”
Bower’s a man that sounds perfectly content either loved or hated, because, as he said, it’s all about the music. Their fans then, will be stoked to know, there’s a new record on the horizon.
“[It’s] coming out in April.”
The nameless 11 track album is combination of 13 years of touring and “trying to stay afloat” and it crosses those years with tracks written this year and as far back as 2005.
“We’re really into it and we’ve given in 100 percent…people have said it sounds like Commodore meets Black Flag and that’s really important to us.”
During the year of recording there was enough “fucking around” with the record to infuse a new breed of groove and the sessions resulted in 15 songs being recorded, the remaining four will be released as on seven inch records.
The final element, the name, is all that remains to be done and Bower laughs as he says “we’re the most indecisive mother fuckers in the world.”
One thing they haven’t been indecisive about is returning to Australia this coming January. It was in between Australian tours that the new album was recorded and during that time, the band have toured extensively and have kept themselves on form.
And the band’s, especially Bower’s, interest in the scene has meant that they’ve played with many of the bands that similar to EyeHateGod. But, as Bower says, times have changed and the scene has grown since the 90s.
“We play with most of them, which is really cool. In the early 90s there weren’t many bands that played our type of music. So when there were we sort of made a brotherhood with them. Now there a more bands.”
Bower says he doesn’t sit around all day and listen to them but he’s excited by the growth of the scene.
For him, the escape from the intensity of sludge metal and the aggression of EyehateGod comes in the form of anything but pop and he’s particularly taken by country music.
“I really like late 70s early 80s country music like Willy Nelson. And I like hip hop, Public Enemy killed it. As long as there is there is a good groove and the lyrics aren’t too stupid.”
Between the death of their drummer Joey LaCaze, their records and the pub shows, it’s been a long haul for EyeHateGod to reach sludge metal’s legend status. Bower says it’s important for him that he hasn’t lost sight of what brought the band together. Which was “freaking out on the first Melvins record.”
He’s as grateful as ever but God knows, they worked their arses off to get to where they are. It sounds as though that’s reflected in the latest album and another move forward in the mission of making the best of every opportunity, combined with a little luck.
“We’ve been lucky to have had good opportunities and to [have played] good shows. We’ve retained why we started the band we’re luck to have that.”
For Bower not losing sight of themselves is not only important but its also something that gives the band a fair amount of their balls.
“You hear about bands reinventing themselves and wearing make up and shit.”
“But it’s a good feeling to be able to get up there to be able to be yourself and jam.”
EyeHateGod have forged their own path from the beginning and with their mission statement and passion firing on all cylinders, the band are trudging toward their next Australian tour and the release of their latest album. If they’ve ever slipped off the radar on this side of the globe its time to align your sights because they’re coming and they’re coming with groove.
Jan. 16, 2014 – The Rosemount Hotel – Perth, Australia
Jan. 17, 2014 – The Hi Fi – Brisbane, Australia
Jan. 18, 2014 – The Hi Fi – Sydney, Australia
Jan. 19, 2014 – The Hi Fi – Melbourne, Australia
