Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes(vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians that perform both on the band’s studio albums and at live shows. Hughes and Homme are the only permanent members of the band, with Homme rarely performing at live shows due to commitments to his other bands. The band’s current touring line-up includes Hughes alongside Dave Catching (guitar), Eden Galindo (guitar), Matt McJunkins (bass) and Julian Dorio (drums).
Despite their band name, Eagles of Death Metal are not a death metal band. In a video interview taken at a converse music.co.uk sponsored event at the Soho Revue Bar in London, Hughes states that he and Homme were in a bar watching a man dance to the song “Wind of Change” by the Scorpions. When asked what he was doing, the man yelled, “This is death metal, dude!”, to which Homme replied, “No it’s not. This is like the Eagles of death metal.” An alternate story concerning the origin of the band name claims that the name originated during an exchange in which a friend of Josh Homme was attempting to convert Hughes to the death metal genre. When the friend played a song by the Polish band Vader and made a claim that the song was within the death metal genre, Homme then referred to Vader as “the Eagles of death metal”. After hearing this phrase, Hughes wondered what a cross between the Eagles and a death metal band would sound like.In a 2003 interview Homme described the sound of the band as a combination of “bluegrass slide guitar mixed with stripper drum beats andCanned Heat vocals.” Hughes is known for his enthusiastic interaction with audiences at live performances.
While the band were on stage at Le Bataclan in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015, the audience was attacked by terrorists wielding automatic rifles, grenades and suicide vests.The death toll inside the venue was 89, including the group’s merchandise manager, but the band members escaped safely out of the venue via a door backstage.