Blistering speeds and complex musicianship run rampant in much of today's Heavy Metal, and especially in Extreme Metal. Like a lot fans, I can appreciate this approach when done right, but I feel like there is often too much speed for speed's sake, and it can get old fast. If you're looking for an album that's slower but still super heavy, the self-titled full-length from New Orleans' EYEHATEGOD is just for you.

The album is a return to form of sorts for the veteran band, whose previous release "Confederacy of Broken Lives" came out way back in 2000. Singer Mike Williams still sounds as furious as ever, with his deranged howls as essential to the band's sound as the septic, bluesy riffing of guitarists Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton, as well as the screeching guitar feedback present in just about every song. Opening track "Agitation! Propaganda!" emphasizes the group's hardcore influences in two-plus minutes of furious punk riffage and pounding drums, as does the beginning of "Framed to the Wall." The band slips in the odd mid-tempo swing from time to time, but most often stick to the usual crawling, funeral-procession pace fans are accustomed to. Tracks like "Trying to Crack the Hard Dollar" and "Parish Motel Sickness" are replete with thick, sludgy riffs and anguished vocals, but are still fairly catchy despite the songs' inherent harshness.

Other highlights include the slightly up-tempo "Medicine Noose", "Worthless Rescue", and "Nobody Told Me," but there are great moments throughout the whole album that makes it worth listening to all the way through. Also worthy of mention is the inspired performance of the late Joey LaCaze behind the drum kit; the band's longtime skins man passed away not long after finishing his parts for the record.

The best part about "Eyehategod" is that, 25 years into the band's career, they sound far from slowing with age, their music just as bleak and sincerely pissed-off as ever. Whether it is as good as/better than earlier works such as "Take As Needed For Pain" I will leave to the fans to argue. What I can say, however, is that EYEHATEGOD are in rare form here, and this album is a can't-miss for fans of Doom/Sludge Metal.