### EyeHateGod - Mike IX Williams

#### 14/01/09 || Daemonomania

So if you haven’t heard of EyeHateGod, you probably haven’t heard of sludge metal, NOLA, feedback… or women and sex with them for that matter. EHG dug up a sound from the depths of the swamp (where it was happily resting in peace next to Pumpkinhead) and vomited it all over this earth. Mike “IX” Williams, longtime EHG vocalist, was kind enough to electronically sit down with me and answer some stupid, obnoxious questions for the greater glory of the Confederacy and the Domination.

Global Domination: Hello Mr. IX Williams, and thanks for doing us the honor of a quick interview. Might you be familiar with Global Domination, the very best metal website/thinktank/idea of all time? If not, we’re all very sorry to hear it.

MIKE IX: Yeah, sure. Is that really a question? So, NO, we’ve NEVER heard of yer tiny little website, until today. Jimmy says he actually wishes he never heard of it at all! I do like the great review you all gave our “Preaching the End-Time Message”, brilliant stuff – (NOT) Superb writing, you’re fantastic, Class A meine freunden.

So you guys have been around for twenty years. Damn. But Vader has been around for 25. How are you gonna compete with that?

I’ve NEVER even heard Vader, but I’ll do my best to stay together longer than them. I dare them to exist more than us! Discharge have been around longer, and I listen to them every time. Oh yeah, I like cereal.

For the uninitiated, how would you describe Eyehategod’s music?

Ummm, lets see…Punk Rock Sabbath. Southern Rock Black Flag. Hardcore Blues. Heroin Metal.

I see EHG used to be called Snuffleupagus on Acid. Which would have been a fine moniker too. Old Snuffles did seem to be on some sort of drugs most of the time, but my guess would be Quaaludes. Was that a question? Or not?

Once again, not a question. Anyway, were we called that? I dunno…You’d have to ask the other guys. I know we are really supposed to be known as ‘THE’ EyeHateGod. Like THE Pink Floyd. ‘Ludes are great, If you know where to find real Lemmon 714’s, lemme know. Mandrax are too weak.

Most can safely say you guys are the fathers of your own peculiar sound. What influences gave birth to the horrific, feedback-drenched abortion that is EHG?

The aforementioned Flag/Sabbath mixture plus a ton of eclectic inspirations: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Carnivore, Melvins, St.Vitus, Laughing Hyenas, SPK, Throbbing Gristle, Whitehouse, David Allen Coe, Righteous Pigs, Mississippi John Hurt, Bukka White, Germs, Cockney Rejects, Trouble, Witchfinder General and on and on.

Besides music we’re all influenced by shitty jobs, crap record labels, cheap speed, cheaper LSD, bus fumes, sidewalks, old people, long van rides and hospitals.

Speaking of your own sound, most sludge fans can also name two or three bands that sound fucking exactly fucking like you. What are your thoughts on these biters and fake rhyme writers?

Nigga like me ain’t hatin’ on a brotha. Its all good. People know who started the trouble to begin with. We are the best band on the planet (besides Abba -them and Crude SS are the coolest exports from Sweden, EVER). Honestly, we dont keep up with those groups that copy us, it doesn’t matter. If these folks refuse to be creative, we don’t give a shit.

You are in a couple other bands as well – describe them to us in loving detail.

Well, I got Outlaw Order happening right now. We got our full length out now on Season of Mist called ‘Dragging Down the Enforcer’ that is nine songs of absolute pure nihilist propaganda, and I’m in Arson Anthem with Phil Anselmo and Hank Williams III. We play ’80’s inspired Hardcore Punk Rawk. We got an EP out on Phil’s label, Housecore Records, and 17 new songs that gotta be mixed and finished for our new album. I also have another outfit called ‘The Guilt of…’ that is Power Electronix/Noise stuff. In addition to all that, I do spoken word stuff, and in any spare moment I may possibly have, I fucking huff paint and glue.

And on the subject of band group gropes, what’s with the EHG/Down/Crowbar circle jerk? Are you all just pals and collaboration is geographically expedient, or is there something gayer going on?

Hmmmm, I don’t think there is any homosexual activity going on, but then again, I wouldn’t know. I’ve always preferred the companionship of a cigarette and a glass of vodka. Anyway, naw, nothing queer down here, we’ve all been friends a long time and why have one band when you can have twenty?

And somewhat on the subject (but not really) of rap, who does those hilarious semi-rapped vocals on “Southern Discomfort”?

That was a fuck-off take done by Jimmy as a joke, us just being stupid you know, goofing off. So when the dumb fucks at Century Media decide that they are putting out a so called ‘best of’ record, they used the master reels from the ‘Dopesick’ sessions without consulting us for a fucking minute, not letting us re-mix anything. So that’s how that silly shit ended up on that LP. It don’t bother me now none, what’s out there is out there.

Once again, not to make this a rap interview, but your opinion of the Southern ©rap scene, since you are from the South, please.

I like alot of it. Juvenile has some good songs, I think. I don’t limit myself to one type of music, I get influences from everywhere and I happen to believe some Hip-Hop is heavy shit, and of course anything fron New Orleans is always better than anything else: I like UNLV, C-Murder, DJ Jubilee, etc… All from the City That Care Forgot: NOLA.

Switching tracks, I see from some live footage that you’ve spent some time in the slammer. What was your favorite/least favorite arrest experience?

None are favorites. It all sucks, man. I mean, I’ve been involved in illegal behaviour since I was a young kid, and to be honest it ain’t no life to live. I lived three years in a boy’s home starting at 13 yrs. old and it’s been a lotta bullshit since, in and out of jail. I ain’t into that life no more.

You’ve written a book of poems called “Cancer as a Social Activity,” which is fantastically evil title. Care to give us a sample?

What, a urine sample? No, you gotta buy the book. It’s available at TheHousecoreRecords.com if anyone wants to get it. I’ve got at least two other dark negative poetry/lyric books written that need to be edited and I’m also writing my biography and story of EHG.

So on a more personal subject, I hear you’ve been a happily clean and sober individual as of late. Congrats man. Feel free to NOT answer the question if you’d like, but how hard was it to kick the habit?

I dunno where you hear these rumors, but whatever. Physically kicking drugs is not the hard part, it’s the psychological aspect afterward.

How’s life right now, in general?

Great. I’m happy. Got a fantastic girl, got an amazing dog, got killer friends, what else do you need?

One thing we always do in these interviews is ask people their opinions about other bands. Which I will proceed to do now. Rate the following from a one to a ten, and give an EXACTLY three word description of your thoughts on each:

Ok, here you go..

Motorhead: I give them a 10. Great Punk band. Subhumans: I guess a 7. Canadian or British? Death: Chuck gets a 10. Mantas demos rule. Guns ‘n Roses: 9 in the mid-80’s, a 3 in ’08. Axel’s a dolt. Panzerchrist: Danes get a healthy 8. Great band name. Garth Brooks: Fucking 0. Plastic shit spoon.

Here’s a serious question: will the South rise again? And will they have their asses handed to them – AGAIN?

A serious question? You’re comical, bro. That’s a stupid inquiry, but it would be very interesting to see a civil war in this day and age in America. I’ll move to Europe when that happens. Did you know alot of Northerners owned slaves as well as the South prior to the Civil War? Just a bit of historical fact for all those retractors and Southern USA haters.

This interview may have just taken a political turn. Does that make you nervous?

Ummm, let’s see….Hmmmm, well..Ummmmm, I dunno…Oh yeah, NO. Not at all. I love to talk politics. I don’t hardly know shit about it, but I can bullshit with the best of ‘em. I stand with the Ninth Position Ideology platform.

Would you say FEMA did a great or SUPER GREAT job of handling Katrina? You can only pick from those two options.

Ahh, a trick question thrown in to confuse and scare me, I won’t fall fer it. We all know that FEMA did a SUPER FANTASTIC SUPERB AMAZINGLY GREAT job! That tiny bit of money that was thrown at us was pure genius! God bless FEMA!

Being a fellow Yank, what are your thoughts on our most recent regime change in DC?

You’re a fellow Yank? From where? Anyway, me not being a Democrat or a Republican and not being able to vote ‘cos I’m a felon, I usually haven’t given two pisses about elections in the past, but after having this guy Bush basically send our country upside fuckin-down I had to pull for the dude offering the most positive form of change for the lower classes. Mind you, it could end up in the goddamn sewer, you never can tell, but for now it’s all we got to hope for to turn this mess around. Things really need to be looked at in terms of class and not race, so just cross your collective fingers if you give a shit.

What’s on tap for the next EHG release? Most importantly, will it be heavily influenced by modern flag-waving radio country music?

EyeHateGod has a bunch of new songs we’ll put down on tape sooner or later but right now we’re not signed to any label and everybody is so busy with their other projects, but it’ll happen one of these days. Our new stuff is influenced by early ’60’s Vietnamese Metal and instrumental high school Techno-pop. We will only use those cool ass synthesizer guitars exclusively like you used to see on the old MTV.

So what are your plans for the next twenty years of EHG? Do you think everyone will survive that long?

To spread love and candy apples to all the tweens, and to try to stop that damn annoying amplifier feed-back that I keep hearing.

As we always do at the end of interviews here, any last words before communication is terminated? Gracias.

Thanks Global D. for the I-view. Run out and get the brand new Outlaw Order LP and lookout for the next Arson Anthem record next year. Go to the Housecore Records website and buy my book. Also check out these sites:

www.myspace.com/nolanine www.myspace.com/eyehategod www.myspace.com/arsonanthem www.myspace.com/outlaworder www.southernnihilismfront.com www.thehousecorerecords.com