Dax Riggs - Say Goodnight To The World

A predictable degree of ambivalence surrounds Dax's solo work. There are those in the reunite-Acid-Bath camp, and those who, not wallowing in nostalgia, realise Sammy is doing more than fine with blackened death metallers Goatwhore, Jimmy and Kyle don't care and one of the vital cogs in the machine, Audie, died 13 years ago, the original reason the band capitulated anyway. It's worked out pretty ok actually - the bastard children of Acid Bath arn´t too bad at all. Those craving apocalypic miasmic skullcrushing tones can go for Sammy´s band, whereas more (or less) fortified ears will prefer Dax´s output. So we stand in August 2010 with Dax carrying on from where he left off with his idiosyncratic brand of psychadelic/country/doom rock.

Stylistically, the album is a continuation of his post-AB works. Like Moonlight features Dax at his brooding, crooning best, recalling the divine beauty of former band Deadboy's 2002 album If This Is Hell Then I'm Lucky, before he ups the ante with the type of up-tempo rocker which peppered his last album, with the album's single No One Will Be A Stranger. He touches upon so much of what rock is great for - like the rest of his solo work, the influence of the 60´s and 70´s is poignant and tasteful.

Although the man might've mellowed to a certain degree, his lyrics are still as introspective,haunting and cutting as ever. His evergreen, lugubrious howl is just as refreshing to hear even if you own all of his other records, and 16 years into his recording career he shows no signs of losing his unique spark. Its a shame that the chances of his talents darkening Europe's shores are slim, but to travel to Louisiana and watch the man in his element in a dingy basement club would surely be worth every expense.

8/10

Highlights : Say Goodnight To The World, See You All In Hell Or New Orleans

See also - Agents of Oblivion - Endsmouth, Acid Bath - Scream Of The Butterfly, Deadboy And The Elephantman - Barefoot In The Dark.

Eyehategod - Live at The Well, Leeds, 7th April

"Heroin and pussy...HEROIN AND PUSSY!" Mike Williams drawled into his mic, backed by dirty discordant guitar noises. If I haven`t sold this to you already I think you`re in the wrong place, because for an hour an a half on that Wednesday evening this is what the New Orleans sludge legends typically coughed up in a surreally beautiful manner.



Thanks to a well documented natural disaster, the resurrection of one of guitarist Jimmy Bower`s other bands, Down, and Mike`s affinity with needle related activities, this is the first time since 2002 that Eyehategod have hit these shores.

Playing an awesome greatest hits set with a few new numbers thrown in, the crowd at The Well went sufficiently mental, and for me it was one of the best gigs that I`ve seen in quite a while. Bower and fellow guitarist Brian Patton of Soilent Green fame were on fire, while Mike delivered his drug fuelled misanthropic rants to awesome effect. Its hard to believe that dude`s clean, his eyes looked a million miles away and a shard of glass from a bottle he smashed nearly took my eye out - he played a brilliant frontman mind.

Last gig review for some time - might be popping over to Portugal for Barroselas Metalfest, featuring Dying Fetus and Immolation, at the end of the month.

Jack