On November 22, 1993, Eyehategod from New Orleans, Louisiana issued their second album, Take As Needed For Pain, via Century Media Records. 2023 marks 30 years since its release. To celebrate this milestone, Austin Woods of The Pitch spokek with EHG vocalist Mike IX Williams. An excerpt reads:
The Pitch: How does Take As Needed For Pain sound to you 30 years later?
Williams: "It still sounds great to me. It’s the album where we found our sound. We did an album before that, which is recorded pretty crazy-sounding. It’s really primitive. Not that Take As Needed For Pain is some well-produced thing, but we found our sound. We were learning how to write songs better, and we found what Eyehategod is supposed to be. There are always things, when you look back on album, that you could change, but I really wouldn’t change anything on any record, because our albums are like photographs of an era, of the band at that time."
The Pitch: You’ve said before that you don’t see Eyehategod as a metal band. Why do you think that label has stuck?
Williams: "Because journalists would call us that in the past, and because of our association with Pantera. We toured with them back in the ‘90s, and Phil Anselmo has always been a fan and a friend. But I think it’s just laziness on journalists’ parts. We’re not metal, but we’re not punk either. My part in the band leans more toward the punk rock side. I got into punk in 1978. I was a twelve-year-old boy getting into the Sex Pistols, so that’s still with me. I still love that stuff."
The Pitch: Eyehategod is known for its nonstop touring. How has constantly being on the move informed your perspective on life?
Williams: "Traveling, to me, is knowledge. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t traveled as much as we have, and I still love it. I don’t see myself settling down at any point in the near future. We want to keep doing this band until we can’t anymore. We’ve always said we’d do it until it wasn’t fun, but we’re still having fun."
The complete interview can be found at this location.
This fall, EyeHateGod will hit the road in the US for their "30 Years Of Take As Needed For Pain" tour, featuring support from Goatwhore, and Concert Christ on select dates. The trek launches on August 31 in Austin, Texas, and wraps on September 23 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Confirmed venues are as listed:
August
31 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk
September
1 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street
2 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
3 - El Paso, TX - Rock House
4 - Phoenix, AZ - The Nile
5 - Palmdale, CA - Transplant Brewery
6 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
7 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent
8 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater
9 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
10 - Santa Cruz, CA - Vets Hall
12 - Portland, OR - Dantes
13 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
14 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - Aces High
16 - Cheyenne, WY - Ernie’s November
17 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
18 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
19 - Dallas, TX - Trees
20 - Shreveport, LA - Bears
21 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
22 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall
23 - Lafayette, LA - Feed n Seed
