EYEHATEGOD
// Michael IX Williams, vocalistEYEHATEGOD are a Southern doom-metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana. “Dopesick” (1996), and “Confederacy Of Ruined Lives” (2000) are both available from Century Media Records, and “Preaching The End-Time Message” (2005) is available from Emetic Records. Michael IX Williams’ book “Cancer As A Social Activity: Affirmations Of World’s End” (2005) is an intimate collection of lyrics and poems available from Southern Roots Publishing. He is also the former Associate Editor of Metal Maniacs magazine.
Website: www.eyehategod.com
Photo: Michael IX Williams / Eyehategod.com
Interview:
To me, as far back as Tribal Moroccan Joujouka, Voodoo Hypnotic Chanting, Baroque Chamber Music, and Funeral Dirge Requiems all the way to Modern Day Harsh Power Electronics and Ambient Soundscaping, there is some degree of spirituality contained and projected to the listener on a wide variance of universally different rankings. Of course, this personal conveyance is on a totally individual basis inside each separate human being. The spiritual aspect for some folks may go the God, Allah, Buddha route, or plainly just deity-based in general. For others, they love to wallow in the pure raw passion and animal instinct that many types of music bring to their soul and that’s a dramatic way to put it as it really just boils down to getting drunk, turning the stereo up too loud, and flooding the brain with natural schizophrenic emotion that something like old Black Flag or Johnny Cash brings into play. I fall into this latter category. That’s what I believe spirituality in music is, that’s my point of view. Everybody’s spirituality is as personal and diverse as their musical choices. Instrumentation of every differing degree, with or without vocals, is pure religion to a hell of a lot of the population, 67 and someone arguing about how great the church is that they go to, is akin to a room full of Dinosaur Jr. fans fussin’ to the death about which album J. Mascis’ lyrics are the most personal and the most completely introspective. So, I’m curious, is there a connection to listening to empty, shallow music, such as Britney Spears, and being followers of equally empty, shallow religious factions that seem to appeal to 90% of the masses; And when questioned, can’t come up with legitimate answers to their respective cookie cutter spiritual beliefs?
It’s very interesting when comparing the two, music and spirituality, in that there will always be a void in the act of succinctly defining either issue. I know what’s spiritual to me. Can you say the same?
“Everybody’s spirituality is as personal and diverse as their musical choices.”
– Michael IX Williams, vocalist in EYEHATEGOD
