Eyehategod: Eyehategod

As I write this, news is coming out that Eyehategod—and other bands, all touring together—was apparently ripped off by a promoter. To make matters worse, someone broke into the band's van and stole thousands of dollars worth of stuff. There's no point in such bad behavior. Those of us who care about the music also know that we care about the performers as well. Most of them make a hard living and need our support and our kindness.

I'll let others write about the crimes against this band. Sadly, the band has had its fair share of trouble. I won't take the time to detail the whole history here—it's not hard to find with a simple internet search anyway. Simply put, nothing is as easy as it should be and these guys have the scars to prove it.

It would be nice if a new release could somehow be triumphant, a musical means of making up for a hard-knock life. Perhaps there are such things, but most of the time it seems like albums like this are more of a testament to endurance and stubbornness than anything else. As I listen to this album—and I've been through it quite a bit—I feel like it's a welcome offering, precisely the thing the band and its fans needed after fourteen years. Even better, the music feels just as heavy and sincere as it should have. In other words, this isn't a cash-grab, an attempt to cash in on former popularity. Instead, this is just the next step for the band. Fortunately, the songs are strong and the playing is solid.

The band has a confidently sludgy quality, one that they regularly punctuate with some truly impressive feedback. At times, it even sounds like they are somehow creating harmony with it. To me, the best songs come in the first half of the album, the main exception being "Medicine Noose," a killer track. I also liked "Trying to Crack the Hard Dollar," a track that has a slight groove to it. Ultimately, I'm just glad that EHG isn't trying to prove that it's bigger and better than ever, a claim that often relies more on style rather than substance. Instead, the band is simply delivering a new album of good music that's ready for the road. Here's a worthy offering from a terrific band. Check it out.

Track Listing:
1. Agitation! Propaganda!
2. Trying to Crack the Hard Dollar
3. Parish Motel Sickness
4. Quitter's Offensive
5. Nobody Told Me
6. Worthless Rescue
7. Framed to the Wall
8. Robitussin and Rejection
9. Flags and Cities Bound
10. Medicine Noose
11. The Age of Bootcamp

Added: June 24th 2014
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 2087
Language: english

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