Stuck in the Mud
Eyehategod, Kielkropf, Drencrom
Presented by Swamp Booking, Viper Room, Vienna, Austria 20260702
“We are from New Orleans… it is a special place”. With these words, Mike Williams from the mythical band Eyehategod introduced the show to an enthusiastic crowd last Friday at the Viper Room. Indeed, in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the city was the breeding ground for one of the perhaps least known yet most interesting metal subgenres that history has given us: sludge metal.* Characterised by harsh vocals, shifting tempos, loudness, heavy, thick, “sludgy” riffs, and a somewhat furious turn, sludge combines elements of doom metal, hardcore punk, and thrash, as well as regional influences such as Southern rock.** New Orleans and nearby areas of Louisiana thus saw the birth of some of the most significant bands of the distorted scenes, including legends such as Crowbar, Acid Bath, and tonight’s headliners, Eyehategod.
The band has been on their European summer tour since early June and was joined for their Vienna date by two other outstanding local acts: Kielkropf and Drencrom.
Originally, the opener was supposed to be Desolat, a band I have been wanting to see live for quite some time. Unfortunately, for health reasons, the band had to cancel. Then Drencrom stepped in, a band that has been quite active over the past year and who accepted the last-minute challenge. But perhaps because it was such short notice, they did not perform with their lead singer. Anyway, just before 20:00, I descended into the catacombs of Viper Room, where the Viennese band had started their first track just a few minutes earlier. Being a relatively new band, Drencrom played a set lasting just under half an hour. But their quality is certainly undeniable. As far as I know, the band has not recorded any studio material yet, but some live recordings showcase their excellent sound and creative songwriting.
The second act to take to the stage was Kielkropf from Eisenstadt, whom I had the privilege of seeing live for the first time at the last Doom Over Vienna. The band has slowly (never better said) become one of the most solid acts on my playlist. Tracks such as “Life Is Killing Me” and “Lost” (one of my favourites) really whipped up the audience to a degree I had rarely seen before at doom-related gigs. There even were some crowd surfing and a small attempt at a mosh pit towards the end. I hope the band release some new material to complement their two excellent EPs.
Close to 22:00, it was time for the main act, Eyehategod, who had previously performed on this very stage in 2018, as well as in 2011, 2020, and 2023 at the Arena and in 2025 in Linz. Notably, before kicking off the show, Williams proclaimed the words, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord”. Indeed, religious imagery represents an important inspiration for the band, including the lyrics, visuals, and the band’s very name. As the frontman himself explained in an interview, the name Eyehategod, without a clear meaning, is intended to make an impact and be offensive, yet still allows for multiple interpretations. But for Williams, one thing is clear: “My dad would make us go to church on Sundays, then come home and get drunk and beat us up, so I learnt that God is bullshit at a young age”. And he adds, “I think it’s one of the worst things ever; it starts wars, excludes people, and is just ridiculous”.
The show started with great intensity, and the skirmishes quickly turned into intense mosh pits. The band’s energy was directly mirrored by the crowd’s response, which by then had packed the venue to its capacity. In the middle of this collective dance, one thing that caught my attention at the gig, and which I had not noticed so much on their albums, is that Eyehategod tracks are relatively short compared to other subgenres of doom, or even compared to Kielkropf’s music. I think this leads to a definitely changing experience of time and shapes the engagement with the audience in a particular way. Obviously, it is not like a grindcore track such as those I reviewed in this very blog. But still I perceive something slightly different. It is something I will keep thinking about.
* I have to mention that Williams himself said in a 2024 interview that he thinks the term “sludge” is silly and that he hates the word: “It dumbs down the whole thing. People start thinking it’s all about smoking weed or something, which it’s not—at least not for us”.
** For more on the genre, I recommend this article by Jonathan Piper.