LIVE FROM THE PIT: Eyehategod and Goatwhore

After a bumper year of alternative gigs, Islington’s Garage played host to yet another

outstanding lineup of crushingly heavy status, in the form of a brutal one-two from headliners Eyehategod and the single support act Goatwhore. The headliners are purveyors of the very finest of punishing sludge metal, and have influenced everyone from Crowbar to Lamb Of God, whereas the supports mix a few different sounds from black metal to thrash into a feverishly fast concoction that is mighty popular within the undercurrent of the scene. As they continue on their tour of the UK, a stop in London gave us the opportunity to check in on both bands in the flesh.

Arriving into the venue as Goatwhore’s unholy serenade began, their black metal tirade was

fast, frenetic, and full of fire. Their set included a number of tracks from their 2022 album

‘Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven’, along with classics like ‘Apocalyptic Havoc’ and

‘Alchemy Of The Black Sun Cult’. Whilst they were one of just two bands, and had a lot of time to fill, Goatwhore never gave anything less than their very best and filled the room with a visceral, grim enjoyment.

Kicking off with the simple line “I’ve got bad news, we’re Eyehategod!”, the NOLA heroes

sludged it up to 11 for the duration of their excellent set. The red lighting, that will no doubt have upset every photographer in the building, pervaded for the whole set and bathed them in a rusty colour reminiscent of their seminal album ‘Take As Needed for Pain’. With a very healthy eighteen song setlist, the headliners showed off just how heavy they really can be in a pummelling assault of the senses.

Starting off with an onstage jam, the icons gave their intro before letting their instruments ring out and gradually build in volume as they set off with a rendition of ‘Lack of Almost Everything’ into ‘Masters of Legalized Confusion’. The one-two off of ‘Dopesick’ had the crowd baying for blood, which of course the band didn’t hesitate to help with. Tracks like ‘30$ Bag’, ‘New Orleans is the New Vietnam’, ‘High Risk Trigger’ and of course the famously controversy-courting ‘Sister Fucker (Pt. I)’ had the Garage in a chaotic harmony of moshing, headbanging, and deeply appreciative swaying back and forth from front to back.

Finishing the show with ‘Every Thing, Every Day’, the band bid everyone farewell and let the

frantic crowd dissipate into the cold London night, safe in the knowledge that the capital was full of sludge once again.

Words: Jake Longhurst