Mike IX Williams

Williams was born in High Point, North Carolina. His parents died when he was a child. At the age of 15, he left home. During most part of his life he has lived in New Orleans, Louisiana, but he also lived some time in New York City.

file:Hellfest2018EyeHateGod 07.jpg 2018]]

Williams was invited to join Eyehategod by Jimmy Bower in 1988.{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-93_eyehategod_dopesick.aspx|

title=Struggling to Stop the Stereotypes |

author=Filicetti, Gino |

date=April 18, 1996|

work=ChroniclesofChaos.com |

accessdate=April 9, 2008}} Since then, all of the band's albums{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r175541|pure_url=yes}} |

title=Eyehategod - In the Name of Suffering |

author=York, William |

work=AllMusic|

accessdate=April 10, 2008}}{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r266992|pure_url=yes}} |

title=Eyehategod - Take as Needed for Pain |

author=York, William |

work=AllMusic|

accessdate=April 10, 2008}}Eyehategod. Dopesick. Century Media Records. Album credits. have featured his vocals which have been described as "tortured laryngitis screams", an "indecipherable ranting", and "the utmost sickening, puke-ridden audio atrocities that could actually prove deadly if taken in large doses".{{cite web|url=http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/albums/2-93_eyehategod_dopesick.aspx|

title=Eyehategod - Dopesick |

author=Filicetti, Gino |

work=ChroniclesofChaos.com |

accessdate=April 10, 2008}}

For the recording of Dopesick, Eyehategod's third album, Williams went through several issues. At the time, he was living in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn in New York City so he had to travel between there and New Orleans, Louisiana frequently for the recording sessions,Williams, Mike. Dopesick. Recording notes on the 2007 European reedition. Century Media Records. which took place at Side One Studios. He attempted to record the sound of smashing glass for the introduction to the album, by smashing a bottle on the floor of the studio. In the process, Williams slashed his hand open badly and bled all over the studio floor. One of the band members then apparently smeared the words "Hell" and "Death to Pigs" in his blood. The studio owner reportedly called Century Media to ask if the band were insane, and threatened to kick them out because of this.

Williams is solely responsible for the band's lyrics and themes, maintaining a collection of pre-written lyrics that he selects to complement the compositions of his bandmates in Eyehategod. His lyrics never try to portray anything, they never have a story attached to them. Sometimes he works with the musical atmosphere created by his bandmates.

During his first years as an Eyehategod member, Williams was in two other bands: Drip,{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/interviews/details.cfm?newsid=18523|

title=Weathering The Storm: Gary Mader Of Eyehategod |

date=March 24, 2006|

work=MetalUnderground.com|

accessdate=April 22, 2008}} a sludge metal band, which also featured fellow Eyehategod band members Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton,{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=78732 |

title=Drip |

encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia Metallum|

accessdate=April 22, 2008}} and Crawlspace.

In 2006, he began a hardcore punk band along with Phil Anselmo named Arson Anthem,{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/Blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=59242|

title=Arson Anthem Featuring Philip Anselmo, Mike Williams |

date=September 26, 2006|

work=Blabbermouth.net |

accessdate=April 9, 2008}} in which he is the vocalist.{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p1013767|pure_url=yes}} |

title=Arson Anthem |

author=True, Chris |

work=AllMusic|

accessdate=April 10, 2008}} Williams stated in 2008 that his desire with this band is to make people explore early hardcore punk.{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=34357|

title=Arson Anthem Frontman Speaks On The Bands Detractors |

date=February 28, 2008|

work=MetalUnderground.com |

accessdate=April 10, 2008}}

Along with all Eyehategod members except Jimmy Bower, Williams formed Outlaw Order, another sludge metal band,{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=93443|

title=Outlaw Order To Record Full-Length Album |

date=March 22, 2008|

work=Blabbermouth.net |

accessdate=April 9, 2008}} where he provides vocals for the band.{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=16491 |

title= Encyclopaedia Metallum|

work=Metal Archives|

accessdate=April 10, 2008}}

In 2005, Williams' first book, Cancer as a Social Activity, was released.{{cite web|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features/aug2005/eyehategod.aspx |title=Mike Williams' eternal sludge bender rages on with a new book and Eyehategod's first new material in five years. |author=J. Bennet |date=August 2005 |work=Decibel Magazine |accessdate=April 22, 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070407180252/http://decibelmagazine.com/features/aug2005/eyehategod.aspx |archivedate=April 7, 2007 }} The book includes old lyrics and portions of collages that Williams assembled for Eyehategod which date back as far as 1988 as well as unreleased stuff, written during the period of two or three years before the release of the book. The book also shows Eyehategod's history. It was mostly written in New Orleans and New York City but there are also part which were written while he was traveling.{{cite web |year=2005 |title=Cancer as a Social Activity |url=http://www.hotboxpress.com/NEW%20SITE/HBPSRP%20CASA.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212074152/http://www.hotboxpress.com/NEW%20SITE/HBPSRP%20CASA.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2008 |work=HotBoxPress.com}}

Early 2013 saw the emergence of Corrections House, an industrial project involving Williams plus members of Neurosis, Nachtmystium, and Yakuza.{{cite web|last=Folgar|first=Abel|title=Corrections House's Mike IX on How to "Destroy/Annihilate/Depress/Confuse"|date=January 18, 2013|url=http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/crossfade/2013/01/corrections_house_interview_mike_ix_williams.php|publisher=Miami New Times|accessdate=January 19, 2013}}

In 2004, Williams and longtime friend Seth Putnam of the band Anal Cunt had plans to start a band and write a record consisting of all anti-cop songs. It is currently unknown if any material was written or recorded.{{cite web |url=http://www.sethputnam.com/archive.htm |title=Archived copy |website=www.sethputnam.com |access-date=January 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204190111/http://www.sethputnam.com/archive.htm |archive-date=December 4, 2004 |url-status=dead}}

Williams used to be the associate editor of Metal Maniacs.

Williams suffers from chronic asthma.

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, Williams was at his home in the Lower Garden District with his then-girlfriend. About eight hours after the beginning of the storm, the power went out. By listening to battery powered radio announcements they were able to find out that the situation in New Orleans was quite bad. After the hurricane passed, the water in Williams' neighborhood subsided. At this time, violence and crime in the area became rampant and the police were not in a position to help the residents.{{cite web

|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/upfront/feb2006/eyehategod.aspx

|title=Mike Williams' eternal sludge bender rages on with a new book and Eyehategod's first new material in five years.

|author=J. Bennet

|date=February 2006

|work=Decibel Magazine

|accessdate=April 22, 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223200654/http://www.decibelmagazine.com/upfront/feb2006/eyehategod.aspx

|archivedate=February 23, 2008 |url-status=dead

}}

In the 2020 book Raising Hell: Backstage Tales from the Lives of Metal Legends, Williams stated he looted a pharmacy after the hurricane and "didn't get busted until three days later".{{cite book |last1=Wiederhorn |first1=Jon |title=Raising hell : backstage tales from the lives of metal legends : into the fiery pits of chaos ... |date=2020 |publisher=Diversion Books |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-1-63576-649-3 |page=21 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NaC8DwAAQBAJ&q=mike+ix+williams+loot+pharmacy&pg=PT26 |accessdate=July 11, 2020}}

Inside the house they could hear gunshots and at one time, upon leaving the apartment, Williams' partner was confronted by a person who attempted to rob her. Williams intervened on her behalf. In order to escape the violence, Williams and his partner slept at the apartment of a friend. The following morning they borrowed a car and traveled to Morgan City, Louisiana, where Williams received word that his house had burned down.

They booked a hotel room in Morgan City. Apparently, the person who attended them could see they were from New Orleans because they had to show their identity document; for unknown reasons this person contacted the police. Members of the police entered Williams's room and arrested him.

Williams was convicted of drug possession{{cite web|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=45365|

title=Eyehategod Frontman Released From Louisiana Jail |

date=November 9, 2005|

work=Blabbermouth.net |

accessdate=April 10, 2008}} and jailed. Bail was set at $150,000; an amount Williams was unable to afford. With help from his lawyer, Williams filed for a bond reduction which was rejected by the court on the grounds that Williams was a threat to society. Williams was anxious at this time as his friends and associates were unaware that he was in jail. A fund to help to free Williams was created and his bandmates encouraged fans to send letters to him while he was in jail.{{cite web|url=http://www.thegauntlet.com/interview/510/161/Eyehategod.html |

title=Eyehategod Interview |

author=Fox, Erin |

date=October 14, 2005 |

work=The Gauntlet|

accessdate=April 12, 2008}} Later, Phil Anselmo paid the bail money to have Williams released. Upon his release, Williams spent several months staying at Anselmo's home.

Williams struggled with drug addiction before Hurricane Katrina. By the time the hurricane hit, he had stopped using heroin and was in a methadone program. During his stay in jail he did not receive the substance so he couldn't sleep for about seven days. He hardly ate for six days; he just soaked the bread from lunch in water and swallowed it because he knew he needed to keep something down. After this, he was able to break his addiction to opiates. Jimmy Bower stated in an interview that Williams inspired him to also kick opiates.

Although he no longer uses opiates, Williams has a long history of alcoholism that persists to this day. His excessive drinking eventually led to health problems, which resulted in him requiring a liver transplant. In 2016, Williams' wife set up a crowdfund so fans could help pay for the transplant expenses.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/fans-smash-target-for-eyehategod-williams-liver-transplant|title = Fans smash target for Eyehategod Williams' liver transplant|date = November 25, 2016}} The funding goal was later achieved, and Williams successfully underwent the surgery in December.{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/eyehategod-mike-williams-has-successful-liver-transplant|title = Eyehategod Mike Williams has successful liver transplant|date = December 15, 2016}}

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Category:American heavy metal singers

Category:American male singers

Category:Living people

Category:Musicians from New Orleans

Category:People from High Point, North Carolina

Category:1968 births

Category:American male poets

Category:Singers from Louisiana

Category:21st-century American poets

Category:People from Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Category:American people convicted of drug offenses

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:Singers from New Orleans