Eye Flys is a band centered on fierce precision. Due in part to the considerable pedigree of the band’s lineup (including members of Full of Hell, Backslider, Triac), the east coast-based quartet create steel-barbed riffs and beefy inventive rhythms delivered with exponential force. Their 2019 EP Context was a concise and punishing debut, hinting at the unrelenting abilities Eye Flys holds. On Tub of Lard, expectations are exceeded with 10 songs of maximum impact in their lean and focused raw power.
Tub of Lard does not hold back lyrically. The album takes its title from a jeering and unwelcome schoolyard nickname of vocalist/guitarist Jake Smith. Opening track “Tubba Lard” finds Smith spitting back the insults and body shaming that he endured during his upbringing. This unvarnished truth-telling is central to the album’s commentary on our social hypocrisy and resulting abuse. “Nice Guy” takes aim at rape culture and misogyny in no uncertain terms with lyrics like “They just don’t want to fuck you / No one cares that you’re a nice guy”. “Predator and Prey” lashes at the military industrial complex’s manipulative coercion of people of lower economic means. Anxiety, agnosticism, distrust, and psychedelics are all invoked when questioning society and culture. The themes throughout the album are driven by Smith’s search for deeper meaning in the chaos and uncertainty of the world around him. In their hunt for a more equitable society, Eye Flys are happy to demolish any opposition they encounter.
