EYEHATEGOD Frontman Says Guitarist BRIAN PATTON Quit Band To Focus On Family Life

July 9, 2018

EYEHATEGOD frontman Mike IX Williams says that the band is in the process of putting new music together for the follow-up to the 2014 self-titled album. "We were listening to the demo today on our drive here," he told Hayley Leggs before the band's appearance at this year's Hellfest in Clisson, France (see video below). "We have a demo of, I think, maybe five or six songs. But I think we're gonna re-record it. 'Cause now we're a four-piece band. And with my health thing over with, it's kind of like a new era of the band."

According to Mike, a new EYEHATEGOD record will "hopefully" arrive in 2019. "I don't wanna say anything," he said. "We did that for 14 years — we kept going, 'Oh, it's coming out next year' — and it took 14 years to put out a new record."

He explained: "We're not one of those bands that tours, puts out an album, tours… We do it when we want to and when we feel… I mean, bands like that, sometimes they put out shitty albums 'cause they just write stuff very quickly. We just wanna take our time and write good songs."

As for the sound of the new EYEHATEGOD material, Mike said: "It's the same EYEHATEGOD. We're like AC/DC. It's EYEHATEGOD; it's gonna sound like EYEHATEGOD. Different riffs, different lyrics, but the sound is ours."

Williams also addressed the absence of longtime guitarist Brian Patton, who is no longer touring with EYEHATEGOD after a 25-year stint with the band. "He quit, because he has a new baby," the singer said. "He has two kids now — he has a new baby — and he's taking care of his wife's parents; they're having some health issues, I believe. So it's for a good cause, but he couldn't tour with us anymore. But it's fun being a four-piece; I like the sound and the vibe and everything. So it's kind of like a new era of the band."

Mike went on to say that Brian's departure hasn't had a significant impact on EYEHATEGOD's live sound. "Jimmy [Bower, guitar] puts amps on both sides, so we still have that sound but just one guitar," he said.

Williams returned to the stage in April 2017 following a successful liver transplant five months earlier. He underwent the successful surgery after fans pledged more than $50,000 thanks to a crowdfunding drive.

EYEHATEGOD's self-titled LP dropped in 2014 via Housecore Records, breaking the band's decade-and-a-half gap since their prior full-length and marking the most successful release of the band's storied history.

Find more on Eyehategod
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).