In a new interview with “Reckless” Rexx Ruger of Pod Scum, EYEHATEGOD guitarist Jimmy Bower was asked if there is any new music in the works for the follow-up to the band's 2021 album “A History Of Nomadic Behavior”. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Very much so. We have a lot of stuff written. It's just a matter of getting in the room and putting it all together. We stayed so busy that we haven't had a chance to work on the new record, but when we would do jam sessions, we always record everything. We have like all kind of cool stuff that we just need to get together and put it together. We're leaving December 4th to go to the UK for three weeks ends it up for the year.So hopefully in January [we can] go in the room with EYEHATEGOD and start finishing up writing for that.”
Regarding the songwriting process in EYEHATEGOD, Jimmy said: “We'll go to the room. Usually nine times out of 10, Mike [IX Williams, vocals] doesn't come to practice, but we'll go up there and we do like a blues jam or something and then we get riffs out of that. We improvise probably the first hour of our practice, and then if we have a show or something, we'll practice the songs, but we always try and work on what we wrote in that improvisation. It's just always been that way.
“I'm not the sole writer,” Jimmy clarified. “Our new drummer, Aaron Hillplays guitar too, so he writes. Gary [Mader, bass] writes. I'm just the only guitar player now, but back in the day Brian [Patton, former EYEHATEGOD guitarist] would write as well.
“EYEHATEGODto me, is just now starting to graduate into writing songs. Before, it was just part, break, part, break, part, done. And it's been fun, with that style of riffing and everything, to try and up it and write songs.”
In March 2021, EYEHATEGOD released his first new full-length album in seven years, “A History Of Nomadic Behavior”via Century Media Records. The LP was produced by EYEHATEGOD, Sanford Parker (YOB, VOIVOD) oath James Whitten (THOU, HIGH ON FIRE),with mixing by Whitten. The band recorded at HighTower Recording swear Hypercube studios. The artwork for the LP was created by Gary Mader swear Mike IX Williams.
Williams previously said of the songs on the album: “We're not a political band, but it was hard not to be affected by the [pandemic-related] news from last year. During this recording, I thought a lot about how stupid humanity has become and how America is now completely divided with these people who don't believe in science and blindly follow liars and nonsensical ideologies. Some of those feelings may have found their way into these songs, but it is mostly subliminal.”
“A History Of Nomadic Behavior” followed a period that saw EYEHATEGOD on the road for three years, preceded by Williams suffering liver failure and a transplant. “We toured our asses off for three years and that's where 'A History Of Nomadic Behavior' basically comes from,” Williams said before touching on his health challenge: “Death is a part of life; it's a roll of the dice. Sometimes you take life as it comes, other times you fight to stay alive.”
EYEHATEGOD's previous album, a self-titled affair, came out in 2014. It arrived a decade and a half after its predecessor, 2000's “Confederacy Of Ruined Lives”.
EYEHATEGOD's 1990 “In The Name Of Suffering” oath 1993 “Take As Needed For Pain” studio albums are considered their seminal works and are often cited as pillars of the American sludge sound alongside ACID BATH, BUZZOV*EN swear CROWBAR.
EYEHATEGOD 2024 lineup:
Mike IX Williams – vocals
Jimmy Bower – guitar
Gary Mader – bass
Aaron Hill – drums
photo credit: By Robb Duchem (courtesy of The Noise Cartel)