EYEHATEGOD

A History Of Nomadic Behavior

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Genre: Sludge Metal.
Released: 12/03/2021
Via Century Media

Album Review: EYEHATEGOD – A History Of Nomadic Behavior

Seven years is a long time for a band to not release music, but luckily for fans of EYEHATEGOD, that long wait is finally over! ‘A History Of Nomadic Behavior’ is the title of the long-awaited successor of their 2014 self-titled album. After such a long wait fans will be eager to know if it’s lived up to the expectation that a prolonged absence brings with it. I’ve been lucky enough to receive a review copy of the record so without further adieu, here’s exactly what I think of the new record. 

Straight of the bat ‘Built Beneath The Lies’ delivers the bands unique style of sludge metal. It’s an acquired taste for sure but it does a great job of capturing the band’s style and delivers a great opening track to the album. Mike IX Williams has a great gift in his vocals and he can use them in a way that elevates the track greatly. Not to be outdone tho, ‘The Outer Banks’ features some awesome yet disgusting riffs from Jimmy Bower which is accompanied by the overwhelming bass line from Gary Mader. This song also shows how well the band can turn up the tempo. EYEHATEGOD sound phenomenal when they get the speed up! A solid start to the record if I’ve ever seen one. 

‘Fake What’s Yours’ continues the brutality. I found myself starting to headbang each time this song came on which is a great sign of a good metal song. Once again Mike’s vocals continue to dominate. He truly is perfect for a band in this genre. Unfortunately ‘Three Black Eyes’ left a lot to be desired in my opinion. I felt the song lacked any real sustenance and would always go under the raider on each listen I had of the record which seemed to be the case for ‘Current Situation’ as well. I found both of these songs hard to listen to even in short bursts. Maybe it’s just not my thing but it missed the mark for me. 

Luckily I found that ‘High Risk Trigger’ to be an awesome song. I fell in love with the drumming on this track so I have to give props to Aaron Hill for killing it on the kit! He truly delivered a crushing percussion track on this one that I’m sure any drummer could appreciate. ‘Anemic Robotic’ is a song that I thought I wouldn’t be a fan of however I found myself enjoying this one a hell of a lot. The slow-paced and methodical style of the track works wonders and will have you wanting to repeat it again and again. A highlight of the album for sure. 

Following that, ‘The Day Felt Wrong’ is a very standard sludge metal song. There’s nothing that makes it stand out from the pact yet its still a solid track. I’m sure sludge fans will be able to get down to this one in a pit or two. Disappointingly ‘The Trial Of Johnny Cancer’ really didn’t land with me. I just could not get into this one no matter how hard I tried. I felt the song lacked any bit of substance and I would most likely skip over this track if I heard it in the future. Disappointing. This is followed by a short instrumental track titled ‘Smoker’s Piece’ which I found an awful lot more enjoyable. Good things come in small packages apparently!

The penultimate song ‘Circle Of Nerves’ is a return to form from EYEHATEGOD. A powerful and brutal track that fits the band’s image perfectly. A really strong way to start the end of the record which ‘Every Thing, Every Day’ capitalises on well. A repetitive track that just hits a lot better than any other song on the album. I guess the saying “Good things come to those who wait” really holds true in this case. 

Overall I feel like EYEHATEGOD fans may be left disappointed in the new record. A 7-year wait for a new studio album has culminated in an average release from the sludge metal band who really should have been able to produce so much more. The album had its moments however they are overshadowed by dull and uninspired songs that just dont hit the level of expectation many fans are hoping for from this release.