Eye Flys brings together the minds of four musicians known for their work in some of the most extreme, blistering bands today. The quartet was initially started by Full of Hell guitarist Spencer Hazard and former Backslider drummer Patrick Forrest as an outlet to play aggressive music with equal intensity that would contrast the breakneck speeds of their other projects. After asking Backslider bassist Jake Smith to join on guitar and vocals and Triac’s Kevin Bernsten on bass, Eye Flys’ potential for crafting impossibly heavy songs was solidified. Eye Flys’ debut Context was written and recorded just a few short months from the band’s inception, drawing on each members’ considerable experience and driven by the excitement of playing in uncharted territory. This is an album of commanding, lean noise rock absolutely brimming with vitriol.
The direct, raw energy Eye Flys’ music is simultaneously menacing and intoxicating. Drawing immediate comparisons to bands like Unsane, Cherubs, and The Melvins (where they take their name), the quartet’s bludgeoning sound is underpinned by a razor-sharp edge. Smith’s vicious lyrics are paralleled by his unrelenting barks with passages like the opening of “Weaponize” literally spat through grinding teeth. Their taut, muscular riffing and pummeling drums lay atop a foundation of deceptively intricate arrangements.
Eye Flys’ Context stands as a testament to its members’ abilities to produce music that is as ferocious as it is addictive. In just 6 short songs, Eye Flys not only prove their place among their peers, but stand out as a force of sheer, immovable power.