Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Album number four from High on Fire offers a few change-ups right out of the gate. For starters, it marks the debut of the band's third bassist, Jeff "Zeke" Matz. Secondly, it's thus far the most varied set in the batch. Matt Pike has always been a very texturally oriented guitarist. His strumming technique filled a lot of the space that can be the death knell of a power trio metal band. He's been inventive without having to be a guitar hero. (But in this sense, putting the sound of a band before his own ego gratification actually makes him one.) In producer and recording engineer Jack Endino -- who worked with both Soundgarden and Nirvana -- this crew found a very able and willing collaborator. Endino understands "heavy," but he also understands dynamics, and he encouraged Pike to explore some new sonic territory as a soloist as well. The slippery elements of strangeness on tracks like "Waste of Tiamat," where acoustic guitars strung high introduce the tune's opening bars before that crushing riff drops the hammer and is immediately followed by a brief but furious drum solo. Elsewhere, on the brief instrumental "Khanrad's Wall," a tambour and a 12-string acoustic (played by Matz) engage tom-tom heavy drumming, but it's followed by the speeded up near-Motörhead intensity of "Turk." The guitar solo in the middle, while mixed down just above the riff, is insane; just off the rails. That intense pace is furthered by the brief but well-paced drum orgy on "Headhunter," which gives way to "Rumors of War" in all its doomy (yet a bit quicker) riff-laden glory. Those who long for the old-school sounds of High on Fire will not be dismayed by this sound since there is plenty of the extreme doom riffing on "Dii" and extreme distortion of both guitars and bass in "Cyclopian Scape," after the 12-string intro that has its own strange resemblance to something off of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti. For all the changes and advances, this is still High on Fire. No matter the proceeding, they are a band with a signature sound and it gets milked -- only with interesting colors, and textures added. Death Is This Communion is a step up from Blessed Black Wings, and just may be the band's finest and most focused moment yet.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From 12.49€/month
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Matthew Pike, Composer - Desmond Kensel, Composer - High On Fire, MainArtist
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Album review
Album number four from High on Fire offers a few change-ups right out of the gate. For starters, it marks the debut of the band's third bassist, Jeff "Zeke" Matz. Secondly, it's thus far the most varied set in the batch. Matt Pike has always been a very texturally oriented guitarist. His strumming technique filled a lot of the space that can be the death knell of a power trio metal band. He's been inventive without having to be a guitar hero. (But in this sense, putting the sound of a band before his own ego gratification actually makes him one.) In producer and recording engineer Jack Endino -- who worked with both Soundgarden and Nirvana -- this crew found a very able and willing collaborator. Endino understands "heavy," but he also understands dynamics, and he encouraged Pike to explore some new sonic territory as a soloist as well. The slippery elements of strangeness on tracks like "Waste of Tiamat," where acoustic guitars strung high introduce the tune's opening bars before that crushing riff drops the hammer and is immediately followed by a brief but furious drum solo. Elsewhere, on the brief instrumental "Khanrad's Wall," a tambour and a 12-string acoustic (played by Matz) engage tom-tom heavy drumming, but it's followed by the speeded up near-Motörhead intensity of "Turk." The guitar solo in the middle, while mixed down just above the riff, is insane; just off the rails. That intense pace is furthered by the brief but well-paced drum orgy on "Headhunter," which gives way to "Rumors of War" in all its doomy (yet a bit quicker) riff-laden glory. Those who long for the old-school sounds of High on Fire will not be dismayed by this sound since there is plenty of the extreme doom riffing on "Dii" and extreme distortion of both guitars and bass in "Cyclopian Scape," after the 12-string intro that has its own strange resemblance to something off of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti. For all the changes and advances, this is still High on Fire. No matter the proceeding, they are a band with a signature sound and it gets milked -- only with interesting colors, and textures added. Death Is This Communion is a step up from Blessed Black Wings, and just may be the band's finest and most focused moment yet.
© Thom Jurek /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:56:42
- Main artists: High On Fire
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Relapse Records
- Genre: Metal
(C) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc. (P) 2007 Relapse Records,Inc
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.