If you’re fans of Sabbath, Purple, Pentagram, Maiden, Priest you will absolutely dig these guys ! The band is made up of Bill Eagen, Paul Walz, Larry Burlison and Erik Sugg and when this talented foursome plugs in the mix of classic heavy metal / groove metal with a touch doom that reverberates through the air is simply mind bending awesomeness !
Before we get started I would like to extend thanks to Erik Sugg and Demon Eye for taking the time to answer a few questions for us here at MHF to share with all your fans and help introduce your tunage to new future fans.
You guys formed the band in 2012 , Can you give us a brief overview of how you guys came together ?
I first met Larry and Bill when they were playing a gig with Richard Bacchus of D-generation. They both still play with his solo project, Richard Bacchus & the Luckiest Girls. Around the summer of 2010 Larry came to see a one-off ‘70s cover set from a group I was playing with at the time. He asked, “Wouldn’t it be fun to start a ‘70s rock cover band, but only do under-the-radar, non-hit covers?” I agreed, and we did. Larry, Paul, Bill, and myself played as a ‘70s deep cut cover band between the Fall of 2010 until early 2012. Around that time I wrote the first five or so Demon Eye songs. They all liked them, so we decided to continue as an original band. We had no intentions of getting signed or playing outside of Raleigh, so the positive response was a pretty incredible feeling for us. We were offered a record deal in a matter of months.
In 2014 you released “Leave the Light,” through Soulseller record label (Album kicks ass by the way) How long were you in the studio and was there one song on the album that you guys enjoyed recording the most ?
Thanks! I believe it was the fall of 2012 when we initially recorded six songs and uploaded them to bandcamp as a free download. When Soulseller expressed interest in signing us, we decided to use those tunes towards what became “Leave the Light.” We wrote some more songs, made sure they fit stylistically with what we had already recorded, and then completed the album in late 2013.
“Tempora Infernalia,”was released in 2015 and has continued to impress the masses. When can the world expect album #3 and are you in studio working on something at this time?
We just finished the tracking for our third album. It was recorded by Mike Dean, of Corrosion of Conformity. As I type, Mike is preparing it for a mix. We’re still finalizing some things for it, but I can say the title will be, “Prophecies and Lies.” We’ll be sure to keep everyone updated as it progresses.
You have shared the stage with some pretty awesome musicians .. (COC ; Kings X ; and some pretty kick ass NC local bands) Do any of those performances stand out for you over others?
Tough question. We are a very lucky band. We’ve been able to share the stage with folks that we’ve been listening to and admiring since we were high school kids. I’m sure everyone in the band has different answers to this one. For me personally? The recent gig we played with Saint Vitus was a big deal because they were touring with their original singer, Scott Reagers. I first heard Saint Vitus sometime in the mid to late ‘80s when one of my skateboarding friends lent me the SST compilation, “The Blasting Concept.” The song, “Look Behind You,” was on there, (the version with Scott singing.) I really loved it. It was everything I loved about ‘70s heavy rock and ‘80s hardcore, but it also had such a desperate, melancholy tone that really struck a chord with me. To be able to share the stage with the band who was the soundtrack to my teenage, skateboarding self over 20 years ago was a pretty great feeling. Playing with Pentagram was also a big deal for me. In my opinion, they’re one of the best heavy rock bands of all time. I’m a huge fan.
Other than the US what countries would you most like to tour and can we expect that in the near future?
We will tour anywhere where people want to hear us. We haven’t toured Europe yet, but we hope to do so in the near future. Ultimately we would love to play one of the bigger festivals over there, like Roadburn. We’d also love to see our Canadian pals up north!
As far as venues ; Do you prefer to perform for your fans in smaller or medium venues or larger arenas?
I think when it gets down to it there’s nothing like playing a big stage for an energetic audience, but we love the energy of smaller places too. The latter tends to keep that old punk rock spirit alive, something we all enjoy. It’s a lot of fun when you have people rocking out directly in front of you, face to face.
On a more personal note , when your not in the studio or traveling to a tour date what do you do to relax you know like hobbies or whatever ?
We all have different things we’re into. I’m the only guy in the band without kids. Paul’s really into musician biographies and hanging with his three daughters. Bill is a baseball coach for both of his sons’ teams. Larry has a son he spends a lot of time with, (and is always on the lookout for guitar gear.) My wife and I like to travel together, and generally we enjoy just chilling at home with our three dogs. When I’m not traveling or being a homebody? A perfect, non-band-activity day for me would probably be hitting a local cafe, reading a book, then hitting a local record store and grabbing some Indian food for lunch.
Last is there any words you would like share with the Metal World and all your Fans present and future?
Thanks so much for your support, all. We’re a lucky band to have so many great people digging what we do. It is never taken for granted. If you keep coming to our shows and buying our records, we’ll keep doing everything on our end to ensure that you’re not wasting your time or money.
I would highly recommend the first two albums and looking forward to the third one coming soon and be sure and watch for tour dates coming up . I promise your ears and mind will be glad you did!
For more info, tour dates, merchandise booking info please visit these guys at www.facebook.com/demoneyenc and www.demoneyeofficial.com
Special Thanks to Erik Sugg , members of Demon Eye / Photos by Chris Nicholson
John Curtis Blose / Metalheads Forever Magazine
