As the guitarist for stoner rock legends Sleep and now the
frontman for the monstrously heavy High on Fire, is it possible for Matt Pike
to do any wrong? Sleep’s Holy Mountain is an undisputed classic, and everything
he’s put out with High on Fire so far has been one metallic gut punch after
another. All of these albums - which include Surrounded By Thieves and the
excellent Death is This Communion - feature heaping amounts of drop-tuned
guitar sludge, barbaric drumming, and Matt Pike’s signature gurgled vocal
delivery. In our modern metal landscape polluted with so much generic
breakdown-abusing deathcore, mindless displays of technicality, and autotuned
Attack Attack! copycats which leave many metalheads face-palming, High on Fire
is one band that can still get a thumbs up from those who are jaded and tired of
the current state of metal. Basically, if you’re hungering for heavy music with
no pretense or gimmicks, High on Fire is one of the first bands that should be
recommended for you to check out.
