Spitting Fire Live Vol. 2

Album review

On Spitting Fire Live, Vol. 2, the second installment of their two-album live extravaganza, High on Fire dive headfirst into the stoner end of the pool with a collection of sludgy and psychedelic metal excursions from their two-night run in New York City. Primarily recorded at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, with "Blood from Zion" and "Snakes for the Divine" coming from the previous night's set at the Bowery Ballroom, the album replaces the first volume's unstoppable stampede of riffs with a more trippy selection of heavy jams meant to take you on a journey to your mind's eye. Given this volume's wholly different feeling than the rampaging sounds of Spitting Fire Live, Vol. 1, High on Fire made a smart choice in breaking the two albums up (as well as playing with the track selection a bit), creating a noticeable difference that makes them feel like separate entities rather than just one live set broken up. Between these two sets, fans get a chance to explore the many facets of High on Fire's sound, and no matter which side of the coin you might fall on, the Spitting Fire Live series has something for you.
© Gregory Heaney /TiVo