Spitting Fire Live Vol. 1

Album review

Much like their sound, everything High on Fire do tends to be bigger than their contemporaries, a trend they continue with their first live albums, Spitting Fire Live, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, released separately. The live set for the first installment comes from a November 2012 performance at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City (though "Last" comes from a performance the following night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn). Ripping through seven tracks, the album is an exercise in sweaty, sludgy mayhem that simply tramples anyone unwilling to get swept up by Matt Pike's massive riffs and hoarse growls. True to its stoner metal roots, Spitting Fire Live, Vol. 1 is an experience that's more visceral than technical, so while the playing on the album might not be as rock-solid as you'd find on any of High on Fire's studio efforts, the looser style of their live set gives the songs a more in-the-moment feeling, making this live set well worth the time of High on Fire fans looking for something new rather than just a pitch-perfect re-creation of the albums they already own.
© Gregory Heaney /TiVo