Photos by Sylvia Ansley
Something thick and sludgy was brewing in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 90s. A breed of metal that was more akin to the gospel of Black Sabbath than the face melting thrash metal that was reining over the scene at the time. Slower, heavier, and downright oppressive. Through an intensely interwoven music scene, two of the many giants that emerged were tonight’s headliners, Crowbar and Eyehategod. Despite rising to popularity in the early nineties, tickets for this show were gone almost as soon as they were available. I was greeted by a large yellow “SOLD OUT” sign, glowing underneath the lime green light of San Francisco’s DNA Lounge’s entryway. DNA has always had a special place in my heart having grown up in the Bay. You’ll find no shortage of opinions about this iconic venue but it is without a doubt, one of the main havens of gothic and alternative culture for the city.
Crowbar was the first to take the stage. Officially forming in 1991 after a turbulent and at times painful history of previous bands, Crowbar birthed a sound that remains uniquely theirs more than 30 years later. From Obedience through Suffering in 1991 all the way through Zero and Below in 2022, an overbearing sense of heaviness and emotion persists. Unlike other bands within the metal sphere at this time, Crowbar focused more on the riff itself rather than how fast it could be played. Much of their music is focused on emphasizing a central riff and using elements like repetition, slowed tempos, and even complete silence to truly draw the audience into the groove. With the help of Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo and none other than MTV characters Bevis and Butthead (I wish I was kidding), Crowbar reached new levels of recognition. However, don’t let these contributions diminish from the fact that Kirk Windstein (vocals) and his rotating cast of musicians are immensely talented. The ever evolving lineup originally included Jimmy Bower (drums), Todd Strange (bass), and Kevin Noonan (guitar) but has in total amassed over 18 members, mostly members of other NOLA metal bands. One run through of a Crowbar album will leave you wondering:
“How can someone even sing like that, how can you keep that up for 12 studio albums?” Believe me, regardless of age or current members, it was an impressive feat to behold. It’s hard to single out the best of the set when every song had people hurling themselves towards the stage, off the stage, and back again. While it is immensely difficult for me to just pick one, “Embracing Emptiness” off of the album Time Heals Nothing is a standout for me. It is a prime example of my favorite aspect of Crowbar, the lyrics. I feel there is no better way to put it then this, Crowbar sings about some heavy shit. No proclamations of violence, no mention of killing enemies, Windstein sings about real, raw emotional pain.
Long been down but never been this low/ Years of anguish finally start to show
I’ve seen so much in my many years/ With these broken hands I’ve wiped my tears
Many of their songs feature verses about transforming through this pain into something stronger. In their song “I Feel The Burning Sun” off of 2000 album Equilibrium the phrase, “I’ve found a new man underneath” is repeated as the song ends to exemplify this mantra. This lyrical vulnerability and strength is relatively rare within metal. Nothing sugarcoated about it.
I almost pitied Eyehategod for having to follow that monster of a set. How wrong I was. While the two bands are tied together through overlapping band members, a passionate love for their native city, and an affinity for distortion, Eyehategod is its own beast. Formed in 1988, original members Mike Williams (vocals), Mark Schultz (lead guitar), Jimmy Bower (rhythm guitar), Steve Dale (bass), and Joey LaCaze (drums) quickly released their first album, In the Name of Suffering, in 1990 and followed it up with their heavy hitter, Take as Needed for Pain, in 1993. Assuming this is even possible, I suspect that someone crept onto the stage and cranked the volume even higher. Exploding into “Take As Needed for Pain,” I was blown away. After the initial shock, I found myself appreciating how downright groovy their breed of sludge is. Heavily influenced by the blues culture that is deeply ingrained in Louisiana, Eyehategod’s music had people switching between headbanging breakdowns and moving their bodies to the driving rhythm. My favorite example of this groove in their discography is “New Orleans Is The New Vietnam,” off of their album of the same name. Compromising nothing, Eyehategod manages to fit their distortion-flooded, groovy, and cryptic lyric goodness all into one killer song. Speaking of lyrics, Eyehategod’s style of lyrics could not be more different from Crowbar’s. Mike Willaim’s cryptic, imagery-filled lyrics feel almost more like a musical instrument rather than vocals.
Downtown mess, Uptown wreck/ Frostbite sweat, your guilt on fire
Shoes don’t fit, I don’t fit/ Shoes don’t fit, I don’t fit
East bank mess, West bank wreck/ Frostbite sweat, your guilt on fire
Shoes don’t fit, you don’t fit/ Shoes don’t fit, this shit don’t quit
When reading them separately from the music, William’s lyrics seem to have symbolic meaning, but ultimately are confusing to interpret. However, when listening in tandem to the music, I couldn’t imagine a more unique and fitting style of lyrical genius for this killer band.
This concert was chaos and love rolled into one. Fans screamed lyrics, gnashed their teeth, and picked each other up in the pit. At one point in Eyehategod’s set singer, Mike Williams, released a spray of snot across the front of the crowd, sending fans fleeing towards the back, and the freaks quickly filling in the front. The splash zone was quickly established as he replicated this heinous act two more times throughout their set. But that’s just the kind of band Eyehategod is. Satirical, Sadistic, Snot-spewing, the epitome of sludge. Both bands have uniquely interpreted the hardships they’ve endured and molded them into the ultimate cathartic release. Through the all-encompassing fuzz and brutal breakdowns, I can almost feel the cypress swamps and their dark waters that surround NOLA.
