Album of the Month - April 2024: High on Fire - 'Cometh the Storm'

I am pretty much phoning this month in. From long distance. You don't need me to tell you that High on Fire's 'Cometh the Storm' is the best album released in April of 2024. There were other great albums released but holy fucking shitballs, does this fucking RIP!!!



I will admit that I had some small concerns about Coady Willis (Big Business, Melvins) taking over the drum throne. I mean, Des is a fucking legend, right? Those concerns were quickly put to bed. Mr. Willis just slid right in there like he always belonged. I love it!

As for the album it's just what you want from a High on Fire record. The riffs just keep on coming. It's just repeated sonic beatings. Especially "The Beating". Matt Pike lets rip some wicked vocals too. I like when it sounds like he's just yelling. And those solos? Fuck. You know who else is a legend? Jeff Matz. Goddamn I wish I could play like him. Goals. I saw an instagram post asking what song was your favourite. The responses covered almost every song on the album. I was not surprised because they're all worthy.

Yeah, I'm running out of talk time here and I don't have anymore change for the booth. There isn't much to say other than HIGH ON MOTHERFUCKING FIRE!!!!!!!

AOTY #7: High On Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis

It's fucking High On Fire. Theses guys could put out an album of themselves chewing their Corn Flakes and it would be awesome. It's a shame Matt Pike had to go into rehab, preventing the band from properly hitting the road to promote the album but in the long run, it's what is best for all concerned. Especially Pike. De Vermis Mysteriis, a concept album about Jesus's evil twin, is HoF doing what HoF do best. Des Kensel's abusive percussion, Jeff Matz's thick, rumbling bass and Pike's incomparable riffing and gravel-throated holler is a recipe that turns out perfect every time.

(E1)

High On Fire Official Site

High on Fire, Priestess, Skeletonwitch @ Time to Laugh, Kingston, ON

July 21, 2010
When I first heard this show was coming to Kingston, I simultaneously came, shit my pants and suffered a minor heart attack. And that lasted for a good couple days. We're talking High on Fire playing a club show within a half hour drive from my front door. It doesn't get much better than that. Oh but wait! Look at the support! I knew it was gonna be a good time.
Thrashtastic rippage from Skeletonwitch started things off (well, for me. I missed the local opener) much to the crowd's delight. Between tunes, throat-shredding vocalist Chance Garnette engaged the crowd. He praised "old school fucking heavy metal!!", saluted the beer drinkers at the back, admonished the dudes standing cross-armed for being "too tough to have fun at a metal show," and implored Kingston to, until they return, "eat more fucking pussy!"  I'm glad my mom wasn't there. Performance wise, no disappointments. Well, I did wanna see them play "At One With The Shadows" but they only had a half hour set. I'm sure it woulda been the next song. Black/death thrash doesn't lend itself to much jamming per se so they kept pretty much to playing the songs as heard in recorded form. Which is to say, tight, precise and catchy. It was a half hour of fist pumpin, horn throwin, neck snappin, good times. They said they should be back around sometime in November. Sweet.
I own Priestess's first album, Hello Master but for some reason I never bothered with their second, Prior to the Fire. Until that is, I knew they were coming to town. I checked it out. It's good too! If you like catchy, 70's-ish hard rock. So upon realizing that I liked most of their tunes I was a little more excited to see the live show. Like Skeletonwitch before them, they played a tight set. They weren't flyin' all over the stage like the bands that bookended them but it was still high energy. Of course, they played their biggest hit, "Lay Down" as featured on Guitar Hero. And to my approval they played "Lady Killer". The first track off their newest album. However, I did miss a bit of it due to a very much needed pit stop. During their set they had a screen behind them showing some pretty trippy flowing images. Eventhough they wouldn't really be considered stoner rock, it really worked. The exploding blood cell and the psychedelic burning school bus were the highlights in my opinion. I didn't have very high expectations for Priestess but they exceeded what I did have. They impressed me enough that if the Montrealers were to come back as a headliner, I'll come out again.
High on Fire. High on Fucking Fire! In Kingston! I thought I would never see the day. One of my all-time favourite bands playing a small club basically right down the road. I was far from disappointed. It was incredible! One of the best performances I have ever seen. Guitar god Matt Pike, bass master Jeff Matz, and drummer extraordinaire Des Kensel were at the top of their game. The energy in the club was crazy. And it seemed the band really fed off that. Especially Matz. He put everything out there and left nothing behind. (except the setlist. I nabbed that.) Did I mention he uses his fingers? No pick. Right on! Every time I listen to a High on Fire album I marvel at how Matt Pike is able to play those guitar parts and sing at the same time. And still, after witnessing it in person, literally in my face, I still can't believe it. You add into that the seemingly effortless, room-shaking drumming of Kensel and you have an unstoppable force. A 10 tonne fucking Nuclear-power trio. The only other time I've seen HoF live was on the first SOTU tour. It was in some big warehouse type thing in Mississauga. There were a couple thousand people there. And it had a totally different feel. No comparison to the intimacy of a small club. I don't live near a major market and I don't get to see as many bands as I want to so seeing a band this big (in the underground) at a venue this small was really something special for me. As I said earlier, I grabbed the setlist. Spoiler Alert!! The set consisted of a really nice mix of old and new. Feel free to correct me ( I am HORRIBLE with song titles) but the only album not represented was The Art of Self Defense. I was kinda hoping they'd play "10,000 Years" but I'm not complaining. Anyway, here's the setlist.
Fire, Flood and Plague
Devilution
How Dark We Pray (It was awesome!)
Hung, Drawn and Quartered
Rumors of War
Blood from Zion
Frosthammer
Hessian
Snakes for the Divine
Sweet set, eh? Granted, they could fill an hour with any collection of songs and I'd fuckin' love it. I was some kinda sweaty when it was all said and done. And it wasn't all my sweat. I am 99% sure some of Matt Pike's sweat dripped on me. (Yes, I've showered) I was headbanging like crazy and expected to be in an assload of pain the next day but it was really quite mild. I've been in more pain from sitting at my computer too long. Maybe Skeletonwitch and High on Fire just taught me how to do it properly!

High on Fire - Snakes for the Divine (the real copy this time)

I have a hard time reviewing albums I really like. It's easier to pick apart a shitty band than praise an established band doing their thing. What makes it harder is I have virtually no theoretical musical background. I don't know a major chord from a minor. A sharp from a flat. An A from a G from a W. I don't even know what an arpeggio is. None of that matters because I know good music when I heard it. The problem is coming up with adjectives other than "awesome". But I'll try.
Frontman Matt Pike has a reputation. A reputation for being in great bands. From the legendary Sleep, to the short-lived Kalas side project, to the juggernaut that is High on Fire, you can be assured there will be high quality. High on Fire's latest album, Snakes for the Divine, is loaded with quality. From the opening dirge of the title track with Pike's fingers dancing over the fretboard, right through to the vocal blast that closes "Holy Flames of the Fire Spitter", there isn't a lemon to be found.
The many facets of the godlike talent and vision of Pike's guitar playing are on full display. Thunderous riffing, galloping rhythms, and masterful soloing paint a picture across the whole album. Pictures of movement, of battles physical, emotional and spiritual.
Of course with a such a formidable frontman, the rhythm section section has to be up to snuff. Jeff Matz and Des Kensel are certainly that. They really are a driving force. Matz doesn't lose a step against Pike and Kensel's drumming creates riffs in itself. The drums may be my favourite part of the album come to think of it. The steering wheel of my car has taken quite the beating the last several weeks. It provides a near constant pummeling with perfectly placed rolls and fills. It should inspire everyone who hears it to take up drums.
What High on Fire review would be complete without making mention of the gravel-throated rasp of Pike's vocals. Think Lemmy but more ravaged and with more range. In a previous life, that voice commanded armies. The fact that he can sing at all while playing guitar the way he does makes my head spin. Anyone outside the metal community (and many in it) would cringe upon hearing it. But in a world that almost shuns vocal perfection, it's the voice of power and passion.
As powerful as this trio is in recorded form, live is how they are meant to be heard. I saw them a few years ago on the first SOTU tour and I get to see them again next month. They are coming to town with Priestess and Skeletonwitch. In a small club.  It's gonna be.....(wait for it)....awesome.

This is gonna make me look like an idiot.

And rightly so.

See, a little while ago I reviewed the new High on Fire album Snakes for the Divine. While I didn't hate it, I was kind of disappointed. Read it here.

Then I bought the album. I didn't listen to it for a couple weeks. I did today. Aaaaaand, the copy I downloaded months ago WASN'T HIGH ON FIRE!!! It was a FAKE! It was the self-titled Kalas album from 2006! I do believe that album made my Top 5 of 2006! How could I not have noticed? a) I listen to way to much music and b) my memory sucks ass.

I'm gonna listen to the real copy a couple hundred times and get back to you with a review of the correct album.

stupid..stupid...stupid

Bison b.c. - Quiet Earth mini-review

This is my first "remote review" for this blog. i.e not at home, not at MY computer, no internet, just email. Therefore, details will be sparse so bear with me. A full review will come along eventually.

In case you aren't familiar, and because I was unable to use italics in the subject, the band is Bison b.c. and the album is Quiet Earth (Metal Blade, 2008). They used to just be called Bison but had to add the b.c. for "logistical reasons". My guess is there was some other (much shittier) band out there with the same name that put up a fuss. Happens all the time. And it's always the good band that has to change their name. Fuct.

Anyway, Bison b.c. is from (duh!) British Columbia. Vancouver, I believe. They've some killer beards and play some seriously kick ass metal. The guitar tone is a bit stoner but leaning to the sludge/doom side. Alot of the time they sound tonally similar to High on Fire. Which is a good thing. There is actually a riff in one song that you would swear IS High on Fire. While the Matt pike influence is obvious they also mix in some punk/hardcore/crossover riffing. When they speed up you can really hear the punk/thrash aspect of their sound. There is even some gang shouts thrown in for good measure. Not like hardcore (Hatebreed/Biohazard type) gang shouts though. More of a crossover/neo-thrash sounding shout. Cross Examination and DRI come to mind. Vocal wise, sound pretty raw. Almost like if you took the Lemmy out of Matt Pike and added some more phlegm. Sounds pretty awesome if you ask me.

I have only listened to Quiet Earth twice so far but I know that the more I do listen, the more I will like it. I'd love to give a more detailed review but like I said, I'm not at my computer and I am not listening to it right now. So I am just going by (my shoddy) memory. It wasn't even the last thing I listened to so that makes it even worse.

Don't hold your breath for a full review though. Just go check them out. I've started the long and tedious process of compiling my Top 40 of 2008 list so I will be rather busy. I missed their live show last month and I've been kicking myself ever since.

Bang it,

MetalMatt