Gig

EYEHATEGOD - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 26th July @ Max Watts, Melb/Naarm VIC

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Jul 28, 2024

7 min read

EYEHATEGOD
Max Watts, Naarm/Melbourne VIC
July 26th, 2024
Support: Goatwhore and Choof

EYEHATEGOD (EHG) stand as monoliths of extreme music. Throughout an impeachable career - marked by classic records, iconic performances, and equally notorious brushings with death - the band have spawned a sonic offspring entirely their own, suturing together southern-inspired blues, hardcore punk, and elements of heavy metal. In 2023, EHG celebrated a career-defining milestone with the thirty-year anniversary of their seminal album, Take As Needed for Pain. To commemorate the feat, the group embarked on a US Tour with fellow NOLA extreme metallers, Goatwhore - now, Australian / NZ fans get a chance to experience that same revelry for the Turn Troubled Tables tour!EHG's reputation is multifaceted, but as frontman Mike IX Williams affirmed in our recent conversation (link here), they are first and foremost a live act. This is where EHG are, and always will be, at their best. It’s no surprise then, that attendees at Melbourne's Max Watts on Friday, July 26th arrived with high expectations, but none could have foreseen what was in store for us that evening.In contrast to the bitter cold of the Melbourne night, Max Watts was pulsing with a scintillating energy. Luckily, crisp beers were flowing to take the edge off, and the atmosphere in the room was vibrant, filled to the brim with punters eager to get their first dose of EHG on Aussie shores since 2019. And if there was ever a local act to catalyse the anticipation simmering in the venue, it was the inimitable Choof. Coming off a productive 2023 which saw the band release their debut album Dimwitted Amoral Exploitation, and a split with NSW’s Carnal Viscera (titled Big Dumb Monsters), these maniacs belched, spat and decimated their way through a grinding set that will now be inexorably seared into our brains (it’s not something you forget quickly!). Choof’s list of antics included - but were certainly not limited to - jacking off the microphone, wrapping the amp leads around their necks / heads, shouting vocals through a pint glass, and antagonising the crowd incessantly, before feeding them beers (although, most fans ended up wearing these drinks). With all this frolicking playing out, it’s easy to underplay the well-rehearsed outfit that Choof is. These lads are cohesive, the drumming is proficient, and Jake Seymour boasts an impressive vocal range that extends from guttural roars to paint-peeling shrieks. That’s perhaps why, irrespective of donning the opening slot, Choof’s local faithful arrived early to jeer on their hometown lunatics. Even Jimmy Bower (guitarist for EHG) could be seen side-stage enjoying the mayhem.At the close of Choof’s set, the crowd dispersed in eclectic fashion. Some ventured to the bar to refuel, whilst others took a breather by heading outside for a smoke. Those lucky few were treated to a virtuosic performance by local guitarist, Rick Grimm, who set up shop next to Max Watts and shredded through a setlist of Opeth classics. Before long, it was time to reconvene for the premier support act for the evening, Goatwhore; merchants of the most blasphemous and extreme expression of metal conceivable.Because of recent worldwide tech issues and flight cancellations, Goatwhore got the call-up to headline the Perth leg of the Turn Troubled Tables tour. Having logged those extra reps, the guys were primed for the remaining run of shows; and they absolutely blew the lid off Max Watts. Their set - which heavily featured material from their newest album, 2022’s Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven - was, to speak plainly, formidable. Goatwhore came stampeding out the gates with opening number ‘The Bestowal of Abomination’, which saw vocalist Louis Benjamin Falgoust II and guitarist Sammy Duet trade throat-shredding screams, whilst the propulsive rhythm section made sure they could be felt reverberating in your chest cavity. In an epic display of showmanship, Duet performed the song’s haunting riff with his axe pointing like a trident straight to the sky. The pace that ensued was relentless. The thrash imbued ‘Under the Flesh, Into the Soul’ threatened to puncture a hole right through the back wall, as the crowd moshed fervidly in front of Goatwhore’s unholy altar. We were introduced to ‘Franky’, who due to visa issues, was enlisted to fill in on drums for the tour. It was perfect timing, because this rapid-fire drum machine ripped through ‘Born of Satan’s Flesh’ like he was trying to tear off his skins. When the mesmerising melody of ‘Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven’ rang out, the mood shifted entirely, as all stood transfixed by what Duet was able to conjure with his guitar sorcery; a pinnacle display of melodicism infused with extremity. What followed was pure pandemonium. The band’s live staple, ‘Apocalyptic Havoc’ emerged, and the venue lost its mind. Bodies collided and voices sung out in unison, and Goatwhore matched the level of the crowd with the intensity of their playing. Approaching the end of their timeslot, Goatwhore launched into the ‘sludgiest’ track in their repertoire, ‘And I Was Delivered from the Womb of Perdition’, and with it, heralded the headline set to follow. But not before trailblazing through a recent favourite closer, ‘Baring Teeth for Revolt’; a throwback to the glory days of 80s thrash. The thrill this incited with the crowd was palpable, and it was a fitting way to wrap-up the band’s first Melbourne show since 2015.Once again, max exodus transpired during the break. The bar quickly became overrun, and the merch tables were taking a serious beating. Out of nowhere, the bandroom experienced a brief blip of excitement as Mike IX Williams appeared on stage, seemingly to test out gear. A warm gesture and smile to the onlookers later, he returned backstage to finish preparations, and ticket holders started jostling for position in the crowd. The air was tense, the vibe suspenseful. Cooly, each of the EHG members entered from stage left to a raucous applause and began to do what they do best - jam! The grooves were as thick as viscous, and the riffs steeped in the soulful grit of southern blues; all underpinned by an unmistakable rock n’ roll swagger. The ceremonial middle-fingers were raised up, and EHG trudged into ‘Dixie Whiskey’. By the mischievous grin plastered on Bower’s face, it was clear he knew he had everyone hanging on each bend of his guitar string, every vibrato, and his deliberate bursts of distorted feedback. The boys were in their element, and the moment was intoxicating: “5 years since we’ve been here in Melbourne. Too long - but no one cares,” drawls Williams. There followed a bluesy, improvised bass line by Gary Mader, and we were enshrouded in the fuzzed-out realm of ‘Worthless Rescue’, gradually becoming enveloped by its cascading riffs and the haze of weed smoke lingering above us. In ‘Masters of Legalized Confusion’, Williams skulked the stage like a deviant spectre, exuding both complete command and the impression of being under the influence, as if close to toppling over with each movement. All the while, the rest of the band were busy leading us through a lethargic waltz of mangled strings and warped overdrive. At times, you forget that EHG is a punk band, because Aaron Hill (similar to Black Sabbath’s Bill Ward), carries himself and plays like a jazz drummer. Williams took a swig of water, which he used to shower the front few rows. This signalled the band to thrust ‘High Risk Trigger’ directly down our gullets. It was the first entry of the night from the EHG’s most recent full-length release - 2021’s ‘A History of Nomadic Behavior’ - and created one of the show’s most memorable moments, when the crowd chanted the opening line in unison: “What’s gone is gone again.” Another monologue from Williams followed (his crowd work was always impeccable): “Some people say we are circus freaks… we are… now wake the fuck up! Do some speed if you need the energy”. Attendees were gifted with a one-two punch from the legendary Take As Needed for Pain LP, in the form of EHG classics, ‘Blank’ and ‘Sister Fucker’. There was not a single quiet voice in the room when the refrain “Burn Her” resounded; in fact, Williams was barely audible over the audience's blaring. Setlist mainstay ‘Medicine Noose’ subsequently sent the pit into rapture, as did the full-throttle assault of ‘Agitation! Propaganda!’, which sees EHG wear their hardcore punk roots proudly on their sleeves.They continued to come at us doggedly. Through a series of rhythmic undulations, we were dragged back through the swampy dregs on ‘New Orleans Is The New Vietnam’, before being fished out and thrown into the frenetic churn of ‘Peace Thru War (Thru Peace and War)’. To finish us off, Mader unplugged his bass and dragged the lead across the active stack of amps behind him, whilst Williams wailed about the monotony of everyday life on ‘Every Thing, Every Day’, beckoning all to “Kill your boss”. With one final sustained hum of Bower’s feedback, the lights were on and the gig was over… or so we thought! EHG had the whole venue convinced that no encore would be taking place. The truth was, they just wanted us to work for it. Once the crowd cottoned on and started to chant for more, the boys were back on stage for their final hoorah. They ripped through a medley of Trouble riffs, prior to closing the show the way they began; jamming. This time around, it consisted of an amalgamation of existing riffs from songs that were not covered in the base setlist.We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - EHG are principally a live act. You have to be in their presence firsthand to feel its gravity, so whilst you have the chance, go experience one of America’s Great Live Bands.

Review by AlexBurgess@alexburgessmusicPhoto Gallery by Clinton Hatfield. Insta: @ampd.agency.Please credit Wall of Sound and Clinton Hatfield if you repost photos.Choof

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