Review by David Feltman
After four albums, four years of silence, and the death of drummer Joey LaCaze, the progenitors of southern sludge seemed finished. The members had moved on to such successful side projects as Down, Superjoint Ritual, Corrections House, Arson Anthem and the EYEHATEGOD lite Outlaw Order. And while every project the individual band members have worked on in the down time has ranged from enjoyable to remarkable, old school southern metal fans held little faith the classic band would ever reunite for another release.
Enter EYEHATEGOD. Apropos of its self-title, the band is as guttural, grating and gradual as ever. The entire album is colored by a fuzzy feedback that fills every track. Jimmy Bower’s riffs are loud and bluesy and when Mike IX screeches, “It takes a life of its own,” on “Parish Motel Sickness” you can feel his vocals come from the darkest pit of his gut. EYEHATEGOD has grown more aggressive since its last time out. In fact, the single “Agitation! Propaganda!” feels as if it was written by a much younger band.
Every bit of death, addiction and homelessness the band has faced since its formation comes to bear on the new LP. It’s an angry album, but the band has channeled that anger into something forceful and provocative. There’s no trace of the intellectual headiness of Corrections House or the crusty whiplash punk of Arson Anthem, this is solely an EYEHATEGOD album. This isn’t just a return to form; this is a welcome back home.