Eyehategod

It's a funny name. That can't be helped. But there's absolutely nothing funny about Eyehategod's artistic philosophy, which it merrily describes as "contamination through music." Brutal hardcore metal it is, then. Black Sabbath, as usual, provides the groundwork, but Eyehategod shows only flashes of the poetic sass or sensual pull of Ozzy Osbourne and friends. Instead, the New Orleans crew's latest record, Confederacy of Ruined Lives, buries serial-killer shrieking vocals in a mountain of guitar feedback, hammering it in with (very occasionally) funky bass and drum-pounding chaos. Not for the faint of heart, nor for those with an affinity for humor or dynamic pull, Eyehategod has survived for over 10 years because of an unwillingness to evolve -- sister bands and tourmates such as Corrosion of Conformity and White Zombie have moved on to Southern swamp boogie or industrial pop hell by now, leaving these dudes to throw down for the hopelessly enraged. Funny name and exclusionary musical stance aside, Eyehategod fits the bill pretty well.