Eyehategod

New Orleans hardcore staples Eyehategod returned in 2014 with a self-titled album, the first new collection of their sludgy, anguished metal-leaning hardcore heaviness since Confederacy of Ruined Lives appeared 14 years earlier. The album has all the markings of an incredibly strong comeback, but is also marked by sadness, as drummer (and original member since 1988) Joey LaCaze passed away in August of 2013 while the album was still in the process of being tracked. LaCaze's drum tracks appear posthumously on the final product, however, and the album crackles with a feeling of rejuvenation and triumph buried beneath themes of desperation and addiction. Eyehategod show very few signs of having slowed down during the years between releases, as the songs here are every bit as powerful and demented as their most compelling earlier work. ~ Fred Thomas