EYEHATEGOD frontman Michael Williams, who was arrested in Lousiana on a narcotics charge in the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, was reportedly released from a Morgan City, LA jail last week. It is not presently clear if there are still any charges pending against Williams, who was said to be on probation when he got "busted," according to the group's guitarist, Jimmy Bower (also of DOWN and SUPERJOINT RITUAL).

During his October 2005 interview with Revolver magazine, former PANTERA and current SUPERJOINT RITUAL/DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo wore a "Free Mike IX" shirt in honor or Williams, whom he said he'd known "since seventh grade. We'd run into each other at shows, bars, and eventually we became friends," Anselmo said. "Mike's story is one of great sadness and great victory. At an extremely young age, both of his parents passed away. Still, every time you saw Mike Williams, his head was high. He was a cocky little bastard, man. He was punk rock from the day I met him. He's such a survivor, with such will and talent. For him to be sitting behind bars, completely straight, no drugs in his system — for that beaufitul talent of his to be behind bars — it breaks me down. I mean, I wear his scar with pride. [Anselmo shows off a deep scar on his thumb.] We had this bullshit knife fight one time. He won."