If a band name referring to the act of getting high from merely being in the presence of a destructive inferno is not a forecast of sonic badassery, I do not know what is. Led by master guitarist Matt Pike, High on Fire are legendary within the stoner rock community, making new release Death Is This Communion a highly anticipated debut in the world of underground music. Pike and drummer Des Kensel are top performers in their fields and have forged a distinct sound of crushing heaviness from Pike's down-tuned, relentless riffs and Kensel's tumbling, galloping drum onslaughts. HOF's efforts have never been as impressive as Death Is This Communion, one of the best releases of 2007.
HOF best compare to immortal rock act Motà ¶rhead, considering their influence on Pike's guitar approach and similarities between Pike's vocals and those of Lemmy Kilmister. Besides The Ace of Spades,"" Motà ¶rhead's claim to fame is Lemmy's gritty-as-hell vocals. Pike sounds similar and even manages to sound more hoarse (smoke damage?).
The album starts with ""Fury Whip,"" a track cut from standard HOF-cloth that still manages to standout. Kensel kicks and smashes his way to one of his best efforts to date, and Pike provides a guitar verse that is scalding and expansive.
The title track, ""Death Is This Communion,"" is one of the band's best yet. The track opens with a single gigantic, sustained riff and punchy bass line, only to be swallowed in an arrangement of slow but crushing, feedback laden riffs and powerful drums, which lead to perhaps the band's most smothering chorus yet. The effort ends with a Pike solo that, despite its modest pace, is absolutely scorching. This may be the defining track of HOF's legacy.
""Khanrad's Wall"" and ""Headhunter"" are exotic instrumentals that demonstrate the band's versatility, as bassist Jeff Matz shreds the tambour and Kensel brings the tribal beats.
After a snappy acoustic intro, ""Cyclopian Scape"" reveals a riff and vocal arrangement so mammoth and fantastic it will make you shake. On the next track, ""Ethereal,"" Kensel stops the show on drums while Pike's catchy vocals and solo round out another album highlight.
The album's conclusion, ""Return to Nod,"" starts slow and steady. A blazing Pike solo sets off a series of ruthless riffs and thunderous drums to end the album on a dominant note.
Pike is a god in the guitar world, and it should be the same for Kensel in the drum world. The two are the main craftsmen of one of the heaviest, most enormous musical productions ever, but still manage to be catchy and versatile. Death Is This Communion is fantastic.
