Southern Sludge Lifers Weedeater Are Still Raising Cain on Their New Album, 'Goliathan'

Photo by Scott Kinkade

I love the Weedeater boys to bits, but lord knows they've got plenty of demons chasing them around. For every triumph the North Carolina sludge trio reaps, their bad luck seems to circle back on 'em sevenfold. From boozing to bruising, health scares and lost members, Weedeater has weathered plenty of storms and satill come out grinning, clutching a bottle of cough syrup (or more often now, a bottle of Evan Williams) and daring you to do somethin' about it.

The original dastardly duo of Dixie Dave and Shep have been joined by Travis Owen, who's known best for his work in Zoroaster, Whores, and Artimus Pyledriver and who also has some big-ass shoes to fill. Prior to the recording of this album, original drummer Keith "Keko" Kirkum left the band under acrimonious circumstances, and for awhile, fans wondered if Weedeater would ever recover. The drinking and fighting and general mayhem hasn't slowed them down a bit, but the loss of a brother can stop a band in its tracks. As it turns out, our fears were unfounded, because Goliathan packs a wallop as hard and heavy as anything the boys did before, and feels even darker than its predecessor thanks to its quasi-religious bookends, "Processional" and "Benaddiction."

Listen to a new track, "Cain Enabler," order the new LP, and get ready for the band's inevitably messy Brooklyn show at Saint Vitus on April 13.

Goliath track List:
1. Processional
2. Goliathan
3. Cain Enabler
4. Bow Down
5. Battered & Fried
6. Claw of the Sloth
7. Bully
8. Joseph (All Talk)
9. Reprise
10. Benaddiction

Weedeater on tour with King Parrot:
March 21 AUSTIN,TX@THELOSTWELL
March 22 DALLAS,TX@SPILLOVERFEST*
March 22 MIDLAND TX@ BLUE MAX %
March 24 ALBUQUERQUE, NM @ LAUNCHPAD
March 25 SCOTTSDALE, AZ @ PUB ROCK LIVE
March 26 SAN DIEGO, CA @ CASBAH
March 27 LOS ANGELES, CA @ THE COMPLEX
March 28 SANTA CRUZ, CA @ CATALYST
March 29 SAN FRANCISCO, CA @ DNA
March 30 SACRAMENTO, CA @ STARLITE LOUNGE
March 31 PORTLAND, OR @ DANTE'S
April 01 SEATTLE, WA @ STUDIO SEVEN
April 02 SPOKANE, WA @ THE PIN
April 03 BOISE, ID @ NEUROLUX
April 04 SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ IN THE VENUE
April 05 DENVER, CO @ BLUEBIRD THEATER
April 07 KANSAS CITY, MO @ RIOT ROOM
April 08 DES MOINES, IA @ WOOLY’S
April 09 ROCK ISLAND, IL @ ROCK ISLAND BREWING
April 10 GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ PYRAMID SCHEME
April 11 CHICAGO, IL @ SUBTERRANEAN
April 12 CLEVELAND, OH @ GROG SHOP
April 13 BROOKLYN, NY @ SAINT VITUS
April 14 BURLINGTON, VT @ NECTARS
April 15 BOSTON, MA @ T.T. THE BEAR'S PLACE
April 16 PHILADELPHIA, PA @ KUNG FU NECKTIE
April 18 WILMINGTON, NC @ ZIGGY'S BY THE SEA
April 19 ATLANTA, GA @ THE EARL %
April 20 NEW ORLEANS @ THE BLUE NILE %
%=NO WEEDEATER *=NO KING PARROT

Goliathan is out May 19 via Season of Mist.

Kim Kelly is sludging it up on Twitter - @grimkim