Eyehategod, Goatwhore, and Withered unleash mayhem on April 8
Written by Scott Belzer
In the world of heavy music, it’s rare to come across a band that appeals to metalheads, punks, and hardcore kids alike. Eyehategod is one of those bands.
Delivering a heavier-than-anvils, sludgier-than-a-New York-sewer sound straight out of a slime-filled vacuum cleaner, the New Orleans quartet has wowed audiences worldwide since the late ‘80s. Imagine the sound of a chainsaw revving in your face. Now imagine that sound slightly slowed down with someone screaming in the background, and you’ll have an idea of what Eyehategod brings to the table.
Heavy detuned guitar riffs aren’t the only thing Eyehategod serves, either. Longtime frontman Mike Williams’ lyrics traverse such landscapes as modern misanthropy, drug abuse, and a general disdain for the world at large, but do so in a way that blends perfectly with the soundscape around them. About Eyehategod’s latest album and first in seven years, A History of Nomadic Behavior, for example, Mike said, “Some of those feelings may have found their way into these songs, but it is mostly subliminal.” When working together, Williams, guitarist Jimmy Bower, bassist Gary Mader, and drummer Aaron Hill drag listeners down to the sludge-filled gutter and keep them there.
Eyehategod is set to blow the doors off Bogg’s Social & Supply on April 8 as part of the 30th anniversary of their album, Take as Needed for Pain. And just in case they somehow don’t finish the job, death metal mammoths (and fellow NOLA residents) Goatwhore will be loosening the hinges.
Goatwhore’s 2023 tour is spurred by their most recent release, Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven. The album—Goatwhore’s eighth foray into blackened death metal—bombards listeners with the extreme sound the band has become known for. It’s brutal. It’s thrashy. It’s as unrelenting in its anti-Christian message (Hail!) as it is in its chaotic riffs and haunting guitar solos.
While maestro Sammy Duet assaults listeners with headbanging, almost sludgy grooves, and screeching melodies, L. Ben Falgoust II unleashes rage-filled lyrics aimed at God-fearing Christians worldwide. Falgoust, like the best Satanic lyricists, takes aim at delusions of moral purity more than anything (I could be wrong!), and invites listeners to join the legion. And of course, Robert “Trans Am” Coleman (hell yes) and Zack Simmons thunder alongside on bass and drums, respectively, to bring the total package.
This may be meat-and-potatoes death metal, but it’s meat-and-potatoes with the best recipe, made by some of the best cooks.
Withered, Atlanta’s own metal heavyweights, are bringing their own brand of mayhem on April 8. The quartet released Verloren in 2021, giving listeners a much-needed release in peak pandemic. Withered slows down their brand of death metal to a sludgy halt and brings it to the lowest depths. There’s guttural growls. There’s high-pitched screams. And a wall of sound that’ll keep you begging for more. Check out our interview with Mike Thompson to see how it all came together.
I’ll see you there, legions.
-Scott Belzer
Tickets for Eyehategod, Goatwhore, and Withered at Boggs Social are on sale here.