Mike Williams Of Eyehategod Says The Support He Received After His Liver Transplant Made Him ‘Appreciate Being Alive More’

For Eyehategod vocalist Mike Williams, a near-death experience nearly a decade ago fundamentally altered his worldview. In a sprawling new four-hour conversation on the “Turned Out A Punk” podcast, the legendary frontman opened up about his harrowing medical history and how surviving a liver transplant shifted his mindset from self-destruction to gratitude.

Williams, whose battles with h*****n addiction, homelessness, and incarceration—particularly in the wake of Hurricane Katrina—are well-documented, admitted that for much of his life, he was plagued by darkness.

“When I was [in my] twenties, maybe, or even before that, I kind of wanted to die,” Williams confessed in the interview (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “There was su**idal thoughts a lot, and even up into my thirties and whatever, and off and on my whole life.”

That trajectory changed violently in 2016. After struggling with liver failure that was first identified in late 2014 while touring with his industrial project Corrections House, Williams underwent successful transplant surgery. The outpouring of support he received during that critical window served as a wake-up call.

“After the liver transplant where I almost actually did die, I just realized that there’s a lot of cool people out there and there’s a lot of people that love me… I’ve got a lot of friends, and it made me appreciate being alive more,” Williams said. “And that kind of in turn helped me to get more sober and stay that way. And I still drink occasionally, but it’s only on tour — White Claws, maybe. But, yeah, I’m trying. All you can do is try. But that made me wanna try — almost actually dying.”

Williams acknowledged that his desire to survive might alienate fans who romanticize the misery often associated with his music’s genre.

“All the people who want me to be a nihilist 24-7 are gonna hate me saying that I wanted to live, but I did. That changed my whole outlook on life. There’s a lot of stuff to do. There’s more to do. There’s more to see.”

The vocalist also touched on the friction he experiences in the modern political climate, noting that he faces criticism from all sides of the spectrum simply for evolving as a person.

“People get mad because I’m not the same way I used to be. I get it from both sides. I get it from the ‘woke’ people who are ultra woke, and I get it from the right wing. They’re mad at me for one thing. And it’s, like, I’m just being myself, man. I’m for human rights. Sorry, people,” Williams stated. “If you’re a musician or an artist or sculpt or anything, you don’t always do the same thing. You evolve, you mature over time.”

Williams‘ health crisis in 2016 was severe enough to sideline him from the stage for months. During his recovery, Eyehategod fulfilled their touring commitments with high-profile fill-ins, including Lamb of God‘s Randy Blythe and Pantera frontman Philip Anselmo, the latter of whom Williams lived with briefly following his post-Katrina incarceration.

Since his recovery, Williams has remained active, embarking on a three-year global tour that was only halted by the pandemic. Aside from his musical output, he is also an established writer, having served as an editor for Metal Maniacs in the 90s and authoring the book “Cancer As A Social Activity: Affirmations Of World’s End.”