By Monk
The title of this, only the sixth full-length studio album from NOLA doom/hardcore/sludge crossover veterans EyeHateGod in their 33-year career, and their first in seven years, could not be any more apposite or appropriate, given the background against which it was gestated and subsequently produced. In 2017, the band consciously decided to put any follow-up to 2014’s self-titled “comeback” sixth album on indefinite hold to do what they loved best – and that was undertake the most nomadic behaviour possible for a rock band: life on the road. What followed was three years filled with the sort of hectic touring schedules that would have many bands questioning their own sanity, never mind fighting for breath. Then, when they finally came off the road (or, rather, were forced off it by the arrival of the global pandemic), they found themselves in a nomadic existence of a completely different sort: one where mankind seemed to be wandering aimlessly, zombie-like, from one false dawn to the next, led on by the latest conspiracy theories and faux ideologies as expounded by the sudden plethora of graduates of the university of social media bullshittery.
…And one thing of which you can never accuse EHG is “bullshittery” as, especially lyrically, they have always told it as they – or, should we say, frontman Mike IX Williams – sees it. But, while they have never been a political band, tending to stray away from momentary vagaries of transient issues, the backdrop against which ‘A History…’ came together inescapably, inevitably and undeniably has influenced some of the content this time around, as exemplified by the likes of visceral opener ‘Built Beneath The Lies’, ‘Fake What’s Yours’ and first single ‘High Risk Trigger’, all of which subtly yet pointedly, and even viciously, shine a light into the darkest corners of that environment.
The sound is exactly what you would expect from EHG: heavily distorted blues/doom riffs that broil and seethe with the fury of a tsunami descending on an unsuspecting Louisiana coastline, underpinned by huge, pneumatic rhythms that pound their way, unrelentingly and unremorsefully, through your chest cavity with the effectiveness of a hyperactive jackhammer, all topped off by Williams’ acidic, snarling, punky, largely shouted, and unforgiving vocals.
In a way, it could be argued that ‘A History…’ is perhaps EHG’s most consistent album to date, as it more or less follows the same pace throughout its length. While there undoubtedly is a sense of urgency to much of the content, especially Williams’ vocals (which were written and recorded in just eight days, the rest of the band having laid down most of the musical foundations prior to the pandemic coming crashing down around us), there is also one of the band setting their own tempo, and being comfortable in it. Yes, there are some breakneck moments but, overall, the feeling is that they are perhaps deliberately holding back, hinting at a darker, more manic fury, lurking just below the surface of those broiling riffs.
The result is an album that stands proudly among the highlights of EHG’s career and sits more than comfortably alongside the likes of ‘Take As Needed…’, ‘Dopesick’ and the aforementioned ‘EHG’ as prime examplars of the band’s viscerality and continued relevance in this trauma-filled times. And, while it is a soundtrack for, and commentary on, these same times, I have no doubt that it also is an album which I and other fans will continue to revisit long into the future (although I wouldn’t take up Williams’ closing challenge to “kill your boss”, as that might just get you into a little bit of trouble…).
- ‘A History Of Nomadic Behavior’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
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