Eyehategod cancel IO-sponsored boat show

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Metal drummers usually fall into one of two categories: they’re either utility men or mercenaries. The former serve as clocks, keeping the beat and staying out of the way. The latter are usually shredder types; they’re in high demand because of their inhuman skill, so they play with whomever offers them the most money or prestige. Both types are comparatively easy to replace.

Eyehategod‘s Joey LaCaze was a third and rarer type of drummer. When people describe EHG, they usually talk about the blues riffs, the feedback, the scuzzy tones, Mike Williams’s screech, NOLA this, drugs that. But when I think of them, the first thing that comes to mind is LaCaze’s inimitable use of tempo. The way he’d gradually slow down or speed up, taking the whole band with him; the way he’d wait just a hair longer than you’d expect before lurching out of a pause — these details gave Eyehategod the woozy vibe that so many other bands have tried and failed to replicate. LaCaze tragically passed away a few weeks back. I suspect that the band will eventually continue with a different drummer, but they will never replace him.

For now, Eyehategod has gone silent. As one might expect, the band has canceled their run of tour dates this coming weekend, including the IO-sponsored 25th-anniversary Rocks Off Boat Show with Final Conflict this coming Sunday. Cancellations are always disappointing, but in this case, we wish the extenuating circumstances were different.

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