Dopesick
Dopesick keeps Eyehategod's heavy blues moving by allowing hardcore to break through it repeatedly. The album sounds dense and aggressive, but it does not stay at the same low speed throughout. Short bursts of pace make the return to a dragging riff especially effective. This is harsh music with more rhythmic life than its first impression might suggest.
Mike Williams does little to soften that impression. His voice is hoarse and sharp, without the usual distance between a singer and the material. Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton's guitars give those outbursts something solid to push against. Their riffs often have a clear rock foundation, even when the performance seems close to falling apart.
Dixie Whiskey shows how direct that approach can be. Its central riff has the appeal of early Black Sabbath, placed in a more restless setting. Peace Thru War (Thru Peace and War) uses changes between punk pace and heavy groove to keep restarting its momentum. Zero Nowhere instead finds strength in a low, stubbornly repeated guitar figure. The band need little decoration to make it work.
The production keeps the drums prominent and makes the guitars thick without removing their rough edge. That helps the changing rhythms, although the overall sound remains exhausting. Not every song adds enough to the formula to hold attention automatically.
Dopesick works best when you accept those limited ingredients as its starting point. Variety comes through riffs, brief accelerations and the way the musicians interact, while the mood stays under constant pressure. Within those boundaries, Eyehategod make exceptionally forceful music.
