EYE AM Feat. TYPE O NEGATIVE And CROWBAR Members: Second Single 'Cryptomnesia' Due In November

EYE AM, the new band featuring former TYPE O NEGATIVE members Kenny Hickey (guitar/vocals) and Johnny Kelly (drums),along with Kirk Windstein (guitar, vocals; CROWBAR, DOWN, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Todd Strange (CROWBAR, DOWN),will release its second single, "Cryptomnesia", on November 24 via Corpse Paint Records.

Hickey comments: "As a musician, it's often difficult to listen to a song just for the enjoyment of it once it's been completed primarily because of the many hours of work and concentration that go into it and the repetitive nature of the recording process in general. But, when I sit back and listen to 'Cryptomnesia', all that seems to melt away and I fall in love with it again. The song is more of an experience rather than just another tune to fill in some time while you're on your way here or there."

Andrew Spaulding of Corpse Paint Records adds: "I'm really excited for the fans to get a chance to hear a more developed version of EYE AM. This song Kenny had the true universal connection to creativity. I picked him up from the airport before the recording session started. We got back to where we were staying, and within 30 minutes he wrote the opening riff and melody to the song; it just poured out of him. I think it's some of the best stuff he's ever done in his whole entire career. Once Kenny took his new creation to the studio, he sat down with Kirk and the magic happened again. After the two developed the song, Todd and Johnny joined in and collectively as a band, arranged it. You could tell the guys are creating a sound, not just playing notes."

EYE AM has teamed up with Corpse Paint Records for a once-in-a-lifetime contest for fans to win a trip to New Orleans and meet the band, and now, pre-orders for the single are live with several different (and extremely limited) variants — not to mention an opportunity to get your name in the EYE AM album credits in 2024.

EYE AM's debut single, "Dreams Always Die With The Sun", was released in June via Corpse Paint Records. A music video for the track was filmed by Mike Holderbeast at Joy Theater in New Orleans, Louisiana and can be seen below.

"Dreams Always Die With The Sun" was written by Hickey and Windstein and was recorded in February by bassist Roger Lima of LESS THAN JAKE at his studio called The Moathouse in Gainesville, Florida. The track was mixed and mastered by Jay Ruston.

Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, Kelly stated about how EYE AM came together: "That was started with Andrew Spaulding. I met him; he was a merchandiser for DANZIG. And then TYPE O went on tour after that. We brought him out and he worked with TYPE O up until Peter [Steele, TYPE O NEGATIVE frontman] passed away. And we all remained good friends and stuff. And he started an indie label; he started a small little label. And he suggested putting me and Kenny together with Kirk Windstein and Todd Strange from CROWBAR. We've all been friends — I've known Kirk and Todd for, like, 30 years at this point. So we've always been friends and we've always crossed paths and hung out and this and that but never really had the opportunity to get in a room and play together. And Drew had it worked out. We all met in Florida. We got into a room, came up with that song, recorded it the next day, and that was it; it was done.'"

According to Kelly, "Dreams Always Die With The Sun" was written and recorded in less than a day. "Drew literally picked me up from the airport and drove me to rehearsal," he said. "And the guys were in the room. And I just put my suitcase over to the side, set up the kit and we started working on the song. And then the next morning we went to the recording studio, tracked all the drums. And then I was on a plane. I don't know where I was going after that, but I had to leave right after we were done tracking; I think my flight was at six in the morning the next morning. So I was there just literally for a few hours."

Regarding how "Dreams Always Die With The Sun" turned out, Johnny said: "It's a cool song. I really wasn't sure what to expect. I guess the best way to compare it — on a different scale, of course — would be like Scott Weiland and VELVET REVOLVER [got together]. You take these people from these bands and you put 'em together and you have a certain expectation of it. Then you're not sure if it's gonna meet it, if it's exceeding it or if it falls way below. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and how much fun it was to work with everybody."

In addition to their work with TYPE O NEGATIVE, Hickey and Kelly had previously collaborated in a band called SEVENTH VOID, which released one full-length album, "Heaven Is Gone", in 2009, and SILVERTOMB, which issued "Edge Of Existence" in 2019.

In a 2018 interview with Rock And Roll Fables, Hickey stated about his chemistry with Kelly: "I've been working with Johnny long before TYPE O. I met Johnny probably in 1986. TYPE O formed in 1989, so we were already in a thrash band together. Basically, we grew up and learned everything the wrong way together and had to work it out over the course of the years. [Laughs] For me, it's completely natural with him. We got better at it. Dude, you do something for 35 years, I hope you're getting better at it."

Original CROWBAR bassist Strange returned to the band in 2016 for the touring cycle in support of the band's "The Serpent Only Lies" album.

Strange, who originally left CROWBAR back in 1999, stuck around for two years before departing once again to focus on his family life.

CROWBAR frontman Windstein, who also plays in the New Orleans supergroup DOWN, released two albums with HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta under the KINGDOM OF SORROW banner. Kirk's debut solo album, "Dream In Motion", arrived in 2020.

Photo credit: Charles Dye Photography