This is a project aimed at making it easy to see who inspired the bands you love or even hate. For this I try not to use any influences that the band don’t claim themselves. There will be a focus on predecessors but successors will be added as they site the band. These trees become more and more interactive as new bands are added, allowing you to click any band that has a tree and jump to it.

We want our lists to be better. If you know something that belongs on this list, let us know. When in doubt we will leave it out, so we need reliable sources.

Eyehategod are has released relatively few albums but are one of the best known sludge metal bands. guitarist Jim Bower and vocalist Mike IX Williams have been steady core members of the band. Drummer Joey LaCaze remained part of the core line up until his death in 2013. He was replaced with Aaron Hill who has been in the band since. Mark Schultz was on guitar for one album and later bass for another until 1995. Brian Patton stepped in on guitar and was with the band from 1993-2018. Bass players have changed for every album starting with Steve Dale, Vince LeBlanc, Daniel Nick, and Gary Mader who has remained with the band the longest and will be the first bassist to play for two consecutive albums. Writing has always been collaborative.

(On a side note, I think Mike named every band he’s ever heard of and as he put it “I could go on for years. I’m a fan of the underground, and the list is endless.” Congratulations to him because I don’t think I’ve ever had to list so many bands for one person.)

Billie Holiday

Willie Nelson

Hank Williams Jr.

The Rolling Stones were the grittier sounding rock band of the 60’s. Mike named them as one of the first band he got into as a kid.

The Who were a super influential rock band from the 60’s. Mike named them as one of the first band he got into as a kid.

Merle Haggard

Jimi Hendrix is one of the most influential guitar players. Jimmy named him as a main influence.

Roky Erickson

Alice Cooper is one of the original shock rockers. Mike named him as one of the first bands he got into as a kid.

Black Sabbath are the fathers of metal. Mike named them as an influence and one of the first band he got into as a kid. Jimmy named Tony as one of his main influences.

David Allen Coe

Aerosmith are an American blues based hard rock classic. Mike named them as a band he was into early on and said they took every everything in his life at the time.

New York Dolls were an important glam / proto-punk band. Mike named them as an influences.

Lynyrd Skynyrd are one of the most well known and most influential southern rock band. Jimmy said for three years it was all he listened to. He named Steve Gaines, and Allen Collins as influences.

Kiss are one of the biggest hard rock bands out of America. Mike and Jimmy named them as an early influence.

Motorhead are hard rock / heavy metal legends with a punky attitude. Mike named them as an influence.

Ramones are the fathers of punk. Mike named them as an early influence.

Sex Pistols are one of the pioneers of punk and super important despite their short time together. Mike named them as an early influence.

The Saints were one of the earliest punk bands coming out of Australia. Mike named them in his incredibly long list of influences.

Germs are on of the earliest punk bands to branch into hardcore. Mike named them as a big influence, particularly with Gi.

Dead boys were an early punk rock band. Mike named them as an influence.

Throbbing Gristle are pioneers of industrial. Mike named them as an influence.

Suicide were a electronic duo who were the fore-fathers of industrial, and synth-punk styles. Mike named him in his unending list of influences.

The Pagans were an underground early punk band. Mike named them as and influence.

Eater are another punk band named in Mike’s incredibly long list of influences.

Devo were super important for new wave which is wat they are best known for. Mike named them as a band he was into early on.

The Scientists were a post punk band. Mike was into them.

Pere Ubu are a hard to describe band with styles labled avent-rock, art punk and their self named avent-garage. Mike is a fan.

Public Image Limited or PiL were a post-punk band. They were an influence named by Mike.

UK Subs were a punk rock band. They are one of the bands named by Mike.

Negative Trend were a punk band with a fitting name. Mike named him in his incredibly long list of influences.

The Blessed was a teen punk band. Mike named them in is never ending list of influences.

Discharge were an influential hardcore punk band that leaned on the heavier side. Mike named them as an influence.

Iron Maiden are one of the most influential metal band. Mike named them as an influence.

Flipper was a punk band that played lower and slower compared to the peers. They were an influence on Mike.

Hollywood Brats were a glam / proto-punk band from the early 70’s although none of their recordings would be released till the late 70’s / early 80’s. This was after their break up. Mike named them among his never ending list of influences.

Black Flag are one of he most influential and well known hardcore punk bands as well as pioneers. Mike named them as a huge influence on him.

The Obsessed were an early doom / heavy rock band in the vein of Sabbath. Although they formed in the late 70’s they wouldn’t release their first album until 1990. Mike named them as an influence on the band.

Venom are the fathers of the original form of black metal. Mike named them as an influence.

Disorder were a hardcore punk band. Mike named them as an influence.

Bad Brains are pioneers in hardcore punk although they are not fans of the categorization. Mike named them as a huge influence and said he would keep a tape of their first album on him.

SPK are an industrial band. When picking eight favorite albums, three of them were SPK.

The Birthday Party were a post-punk band. Mike named them as a band he was into.

Testors was a punk band with few releases while they were together. Mike is a big fan.

Witchfinder General are one of the first Doom metal bands to follow in the path laid by Black Sabbath. Mike named them as an influence.

Violent Apathy were a hardcore punk band. They are one of Mike’s punk influences.

The Fix were a hardcore punk band. They are one of Mike’s influences.

Kilslug took hardcore into a slow and doomy direction which is referred to as dirge punk. Mike said they was the band that made him want to start a band like Eyehategod.

Corrosion of Conformity started as a hardcore/crossover thrash band before playing southern metal later. Mike said they were a band they listened to in the early days.

Exodus are one of the earliest of the bay area thrash bands. Mike named them as an influence.

The Fuck-ups were a hardcore punk band. Mike named them incredibly long list of influences.

Stains were an early hardcore punk band. Their first and only album was recorded in 1981 but not released till 1983. They are credited as being a bridge between hardcore and metal before the emergence of thrash. Mike named it as a big influence.

Sonic Youth were a experimental rock band that came out of new wave. Mike was into them.

Saint Vitus are an early Doom band with roots from the late 70’s although they would release their first album till 1984. Mike named them as an influence on them.

D.R.I. are one of the best known corssover thrash bands. They are an influence named by Mike.

Agnostic Front were a influential hardcore punk band and pioneers in crossover thrash. Mike named them as an influence.

Butthole Surfers are an experimental rock band. Brian named them as one of his favorite bands.

Carnivore are best known as Peter Steele’s first band. Musically they was very much in the vain of a band like Venom. Mike and Brian named them as an influence on them.

Celtic Frost are a big influence on extreme genres of death and black metal. Mike and Brian named them as an influence on them.

Bathory are the fathers of the modern version of black metal. Brian named them as an influence.

Death are considered the fathers of death metal by many. Mike named him among his huge list of influences.

Voivod are known for their more progressive style of thrash. Mike named them among his influences.

Pentagram are another Doom band with roots that go much farther back than their first album. Mike and Jimmy named them as an influence on them.

Laughing Hyenas are mostly a garage rock band. Mike named them as an influence on them.

Soundgarden were grunge pioneers. Mike said they were listening to a lot of them when doing the second album.

Jane’s Addiction are alternative rock pioneers. Mike said they were listening to them a lot when doing the second album.

Confessor are a progressive/technical Doom band. Mike named them as an influence on them.

Disrupt were a grindcore band. Mike named them as an influence.

Deicide are a classic blasphemes death metal band. Mike named them among his long list of influences.

Sleep are a doom band often known as a “stoner” band because of their drug related themes. Mike named as an influence.

When asked about creating the sound of sludge (which he doesn’t like the term), Mike said they stole the sound from bands that did it before them: Melvins, Black Flag, Trouble, and Saint Vitus.

Mike said they are all fans of blues. He says he grew up in the punk scene but there was an influence from the local blues and jazz. He says he got into jazz through is older brother and was into Billie Holiday, Keith Jarrett, and Pharoah Sanders. He said he also was into Reggae and Dub.

Mike says he was into NWOBHM, crossover and thrash but didn’t name any bands except those noted above.

Jimmy said he grew up with outlaw country that his dad listened to like Willie Nelson, Hank Jr., David Allan Coe, and Merle Haggard.

Jimmy is also the drummer of Down. His drum influences include Hank William Jr.’s drummer who also played with Elvis, Vinnie Appice, and Bill Ward.

Mark Schultz played guitar on the first album and bass on the second. I’m unsure of his influences.

Steve Dale was the bassist for the first album. I’m unsure of his influences.

Vince LeBlanc was the bassist on the third album. I’m unsure of his influences.

Daniel Nick was the bassist on the fourth album. I’m unsure of his influences.

Gary Mader is the longest running and current bassist of the band. He grew up into hardcore punk. He was in high school jazz band but said it didn’t hold his interest. He says he is really into delta blues. He says he is more influenced by styles than individual players.

Joey LaCaze was the original drummer and played in the band till his death in 2013. I’m unsure of his influences.

Aaron Hill filled the drum spot and has been with the band since. I’m unsure of his influences.

Bands influenced by Eyehategod!

As this project advances, bands will be added here…

More Family Trees

Sources:

https://www.revolvermag.com/music/eyehategods-mike-ix-williams-8-albums-made-me#bad-brains-bad-brains-1982
https://www.invisibleoranges.com/interview-mike-ix-williams-eyehategod/
https://www.thrashermagazine.com/articles/music-interviews/eyehategod-interview/
http://www.uncivilrevolt.com/2020/10/mike-ix-williams-of-eyehategod-interview/
https://cvltnation.com/mike-hates-life-an-interesting-2008-mike-ix-williams-eyehategod-interview/
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2011/07/15/brief-interviews-with-nihilistic-men-vol-1-jimmy-bower-eyehategod-down/
https://www.metalsucks.net/2008/04/14/brian-patton-of-soilent-green-and-eyehategod-the-metalsucks-interview/
http://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=18523