By Avinash Mittur
High on Fire have often been referred to as “the Motorhead of sludge” but nothing could be further from the truth. Every one of this Oakland trio’s releases has managed to carve out its own identity. The band’s last record, Snakes for the Divine, was an enjoyable album that rode on a couple of modern day stoner metal classics, but was weighed down by handful of cuts that ranged from good to somewhat boring. Armed with two years of heavy touring under their belts, High on Fire’s new album, De Vermis Mysteriis, is a far more consistent release that encapsulates the styles the band has touched upon over the last decade while continuing to evolve their ever changing sound.
One of the most talked about elements of this album is Converge axeman Kurt Ballou’s production. From the low-fi grime of Surrounded by Thieves to the dry and in-your-face attack of Snakes for the Divine, the production has been as large a part of a High on Fire album’s identity as the songs themselves. However, Kurt has pulled off something truly amazing; De Vermis Mysteriis easily has the best production the band has ever received. The production on Snakes for the Divine, while professional, ultimately made the band sound limp, especially in contrast to the primal fury of their past albums. This time the guitars have just a little more bite, Jeff Matz’s bass sounds even thicker and heavier and Des Kensel’s drums sound downright monstrous. His drumming is given the direct and live sound it so deserves and his snare has a crack that brings back memories of their 2005 release, Blessed Black Wings. Guitarist and vocalist Matt Pike gives his greatest vocal performance of his career, using his hoarse bark heard on Snakes for the Divine in conjunction with the grizzled road-worn singing from Death is This Communion. His guitars are also given one of their heaviest sounds yet. This isn’t the monolithic sonic titan from Dopesmoker, but instead a combination of the many sounds Matt has made in his years of guitar playing. The heavy riffing of Surrounded by Thieves returns, but Matt’s eastern and jazz influenced soloing showcased on Death is this Communion cuts through better than ever. The production is clear, yet delightfully unpolished; this is the sound this band has needed for who knows how long now. High on Fire have never been in more capable hands, and I doubt many would complain if future albums were made with Kurt Ballou manning the board.
The album starts things off with Serums of Liao. Unlike the past three High on Fire records, the first cut isn’t a scorching thrasher, but instead a midtempo groover reminiscent of Waste of Tiamat from Death is this Communion. As Matt begins one of his most psychedelic guitar solos since his days in Sleep, Des and Jeff ably carry the rhythm with tribal double bass drumming and busy plucking. It’s an effective start to the album, and shows that the band will once again forge a unique identity for this record.
The one-two punch delivered by Bloody Knuckles and Fertile Green see the band picking up speed until reaching a furious pace for the latter track. Bloody Knuckles powers through with a militaristic march, but makes sure to through in bits of speed to liven things up. With a drum intro that demands to be played loud and only a few seconds before Matt’s voice kicks the door open, Fertile Green wastes no time in pulverizing the listener into oblivion. This is easily the band’s fastest song yet, and it’s nearly impossible to not move your body to it. Jeff’s bass is also a huge driving force in Fertile Green, and the few sections where Matt riffs on his own only demonstrate what a powerful tool Jeff’s bass playing is. Matt’s solo might be one of his accomplished to date, refusing to adhere to any kind of traditional soloing conventions. High squeals, feedback, phrygian shredding and melodic Eastern passages are all incorporated here, and they come together to create a mesmerizing guitar solo that demands repeated listening. Spiritual Rites, the other barn burner on the record, is a more straightforward neck snapper featuring a double bass assault from Des that would make Dave Lombardo proud.
The years since the release of Snakes for the Divine have been eventful for High on Fire, especially Matt Pike. While one might be quick to say that the reunion influenced the record as a whole, bruisers like Bloody Knuckles and Fertile Green are there to disprove that theory.
However, one song that absolutely bears the stamp of Sleep is Madness of an Architect. The track’s droning intro immediately brings to mind that band’s masterpiece, Dopesmoker. Madness of an Architect stands in sharp contrast to the thrashing Fertile Green, but it works well by moving away from the Iommi worship Sleep were known for and instead going in a more drone influenced direction, not unlike Boris or Sunn O))). Matt’s doomy past is again given a nod with the title track, but Des’ tribal pounding and Jeff’s aggressive bass playing help steer the song away from a simple Sleep throwback; if Sleep bassist Al Cisneros’ playing is analogous to Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, then Jeff most immediately draws parallels to Cliff Burton. The title track surges forward with an energy that is nearly palpable; this song could be the soundtrack to troops marching into battle.
The first three songs get De Vermis Mysteriis to punishing start, but the fourth track, Samsara, is a surprisingly atmospheric song from a band known for it’s intense aggression. Even though there are guitar solos littered throughout the song, some of which were provided by producer Kurt Ballou, throughout the entire instrumental, it’s Jeff’s hypnotic bass playing along with a low arpeggio from Matt that’s are the centerpieces of the track. It’s a mesmerizing cut to be sure, one that I certainly was not expecting out of the same band that wrote Devilution seven years ago. One probably won’t go out of their way to listen to this song on its own, but as a piece of this album as a whole, Samsara is absolutely stunning. This song and Madness of an Architect see High on Fire moving forward into new territory; if these two songs are any indication, this can only be a good thing for the band.
King of Days sees the band revisit their progressive side. The main riff is downright triumphant by HoF standards, and Matt’s vocals are some of the most melodic he’s recorded yet. The song even features a killer bass solo from Jeff, and the bass and guitar duel between him and Matt at the end is about as good as this kind of heavy music gets. Interestingly enough, the drum intro from Fertile Green returns as the outro to King of Days. It’s a neat touch for those listening to the record start to finish, and helps tie the entire album together a lot more than the whole evil Jesus twin lyrical concept does.
Romulus and Remus unfortunately seems to have High on Fire operating on autopilot for the first time throughout the record. Where this song might be a highlight on a lesser band’s record, it sounds somewhat pedestrian on this album. In the past, a monster solo from Matt has saved many otherwise average High on Fire tracks, but even a solid closing solo from on this track isn’t enough to stop me from pressing the skip button. The final song, Warhorn, immediately reminds one of the quiet-loud dynamics of Bastard Samurai from Snakes for the Divine. Where the latter track featured a killer final section that really drove the song home, Warhorn continues to lumber along Matt’s slow, yet steady riffs. It’s a somewhat underwhelming end to an otherwise fantastic album. Some versions of De Vermis Mysteriis feature a bonus track, Speak in Tongues, an outtake from the Snakes for the Divine sessions. This song is killer, and a far better end to the album than Warhorn. Reordering the tracklisting could have made the album a better listen as a whole, but as it stands the album is still pretty damn great; eight killer tracks in a row is nothing to scoff at whatsoever.
For eight songs straight, High on Fire give their finest collective batch of sludge yet. The band has managed to bring together all of the elements that made their previous releases great, but still move forward artistically. The gargantuan riffage of Surrounded by Thieves, the primitive aggression of Blessed Black Wings, the exotic and progressive touches of Death is this Communion, the straightforward attack of Snakes for the Divine and newfound drone elements have coalesced into an absolutely crushing slab of stoner/sludge/doom/whatever you want to call it. There may not be a track among the ten that stands up to Rumors of War or the title track to Snakes for the Divine, but as a whole De Vermis Mysteriis is High on Fire’s best album yet. More than anything, this album doesn’t feel as if it’s defined by a particular style. This record has songs for unconverted thrash fans and doom metal lovers, but most importantly, anyone who has ever loved a High on Fire album will go nuts over this record.
History will probably remember De Vermis Mysteriis as the album where High on Fire finally brought everything together with the production that they’ve deserved since their inception. This is High on Fire’s most cohesive and consistent musical statement yet, and I’m excited for their next album already.
Rating: 9/10
Track Listing:
1.) Serums of Liao
2.) Bloody Knuckles
3.) Fertile Green
4.) Madness of an Architect
5.) Samsara
6.) Spiritual Rites
7.) King of Days
8.) De Vermis Mysteriis
9.) Romulus and Remus
10.) Warhorn
Record Label: eOne Music
Release Dates:
April 3rd 2012 (North America)
April 23rd 2012 (Europe)
Links:
Official Website
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