Photo of Eyehategod’s Mike “IX” Williams by Jen Ruff
w/ Hot Corpse
Eyehategod and Goatwhore, two of New Orleans’ best known metal acts, brought their signature blend of Southern Discomfort to Red Flag. Both bands have fairly extensive histories of playing St. Louis, and many people in the crowd mentioned catching them at venues like Pop’s and Fubar over the years.
The night kicked off with a set from Hot Corpse, a St. Louis band that has developed a dedicated local following since forming in 2021. Vocalist Erik Montalvo makes quite an impression in his signature sunglasses and Cabana shirt, bringing a splash of color to the traditional “What the fuck is up [venue]!” energy of a Midwestern deathcore band. Red Flag is particularly known for booking local acts to open for national tours, and it was great to see a large crowd turning out early to support a local band. Hot Corpse’s next show will be at The Heavy Anchor on June 1st, where they will be playing with sludge metal bands Fister (also local to St. Louis) and Ilsa.
Goatwhore, the band with one of the most memeable names in heavy metal, took the stage next. The band is something of a supergroup of Louisiana metal talent, with many of its members moonlighting in other iconic Louisiana metal bands: Goatwhore vocalist Ben Falgoust was also in Soilent Green, and guitarist Sammy Duet was in Acid Bath and Crowbar. As with those other bands (specifically Soilent Green and Acid Bath), Goatwhore’s modus operandi is the fusion of Southern rock guitar heroics with the intensity and blasphemous themes of extreme metal. Goatwhore is the longest-running project any of its members have been associated with, and has consistently toured and released new material over the past twenty-plus years.
Although I always greatly respected the band’s pedigree (and their stance on the sexual liberation of farm animals, I’m assuming?), Goatwhore’s albums never clicked with me in quite the same way that their related projects did. That being said, I am happy to report that Goatwhore’s live performance really captures the band’s unholy magic in a way that the studio albums don’t entirely do justice to: the thudding double-bass blast beats, the solos drenched in wah and whammy bar theatrics, and of course, the energetic and heavily crotch-based performance of vocalist Ben Falgoust, who pivots between death metal growls and black metal shrieking on a dime.
“It was like I died and went to hell,” said Kyt of Breckenridge Hills, who has seen Goatwhore three times previously. “They’ve always been such a blessing to see live, they get better every time I see them.”
Many people in the crowd on Thursday were also at Goatwhore’s previous St. Louis show in 2016, when they played at Fubar, the midtown venue that was the predecessor to Red Flag. There was a consensus that seeing the same band in a much larger space greatly added to the experience. “It’s much more breathable [at Red Flag],” said Kyt. “Fubar was a good stepping stone, but Red Flag feels like a home.”
As with Goatwhore, there were many Eyehategod veterans in the audience as well. The band made their Red Flag debut almost a year to the day before this show, and they’ve also played Fubar multiple times over the years. One of the defining bands of American sludge metal, Eyehategod is currently touring in support of the upcoming 30th anniversary of their seminal album, Take As Needed for Pain, which was released on September 9th, 1993. I overheard people in the crowd reminiscing about being in high school when that album first dropped, and how surreal it was to be marking 30 years since its release.
“We’re Eyehategod,” said vocalist Mike “IX” Williams, as a cloud of cannabis smoke began to permeate the venue almost immediately. Williams is one of the band’s two remaining original members, along with guitarist Jimmy Bower. They are joined by bassist Gary Mader, who has been with the band since the release of their album Confederacy of Ruined Lives in 2000, and drummer Aaron Hill, who joined around the release of their eponymous fifth album in 2014. Although the tour itself was commemorating the anniversary of Pain, Eyehategod’s set was a mix of songs from across their six albums, including songs like “Blank,” “Dixie Whiskey,” “New Orleans is the New Vietnam,” and “Medicine Noose.” Based on my research, every night of the current tour has had a different setlist.
Eyehategod’s music is utterly cathartic in a way that, even 30 years later, few bands have managed to pull off. The bottomless groove of Bower’s riffs, coupled with the sheer frustration and rage of Williams vocals, invites the listener to register their displeasure with the utter madness of the world and thrust their middle fingers towards the heavens. Years ago, I worked as a nurse’s aide at a psychiatric hospital, and I will never forget the patient who brought a copy of their album Dopesick in with their belongings. This is truly music for people who have seen rock bottom firsthand. Cheers to 30 more years! | David Von Nordheim
