Guitarist Brian Patton Quits Eyehategod

GAH, this is kind of a bummer: according to a new interview with Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams (below), guitarist Brian Patton has left the band. The silver lining, such as it is, is that the split is amicable, with Patton stepping away to concentrate on being a family man:

“We’re a four-piece band now… Brian, our other guitar player, he quit, because he has a new baby. He has two kids now… and he’s taking care of his wife’s parents; they’re having some health issues, I believe. So it’s for a good cause, but he couldn’t tour with us anymore. But it’s fun being a four-piece; I like the sound and the vibe and everything. So it’s kind of like a new era of the band.”

Patton joined Eyehategod in ’93, appearing on their sophomore album, Take as Needed for Pain, that same year. He’s also known for his work with Soilent Green (remember them?), but it’s been ten years since that project last released an album, so I guess that matters less.

It’s weird to think of EHG without Patton. I guess I’d better get used to it.

Eyehategod start a tour with Black Label Society and Corrosion of Conformity later this month. Get dates here.

[via Lambgoat]