High on Fire was founded in the late summer of 1998[5] by Sleep guitarist Matt Pike, drummer Des Kensel, and bassist George Rice. Rice, who had previously played in Dear Deceased, originally auditioned to be the band's vocalist. In 1999, High on Fire recorded a three-song EP, which was released on 12th Records. The three songs were re-recorded and included on the band's first full-length album, The Art of Self Defense, which was released by Man's Ruin Records on March 7, 2000. Tee Pee Records re-released The Art of Self Defense with two new bonus tracks the following year, as Man's Ruin Records had become defunct.
In 2001, High on Fire signed a record deal with Relapse Records[6] and recorded the album Surrounded by Thieves, which was released on May 28, 2002. On January 19, 2003, the band performed at the Relapse Records Contamination Festival. After the tours promoting Surrounded by Thieves, bassist George Rice left the band and was replaced by ex-Melvins/Thrones bassist Joe Preston.
The band's next album, 2005's Blessed Black Wings, was largely written by Pike and Kensel before the recording of the album took place. The album was produced by Steve Albini, and was released on February 1, 2005. A music video was produced for the song "Devilution."[7] While touring with Goatwhore and Watch Them Die to promote Blessed Black Wings, Joe Preston left the band for undisclosed reasons, and was temporarily replaced by Zeke bassist Jeff Matz.[8] Matz finished the tour with High on Fire and became a full-time member during the recording of Death Is This Communion. Death Is This Communion was released on September 18, 2007 (September 10, in Europe).
After Death Is This Communion was released, High on Fire played a small string of Northwest shows to promote it. The band did a headline tour of North America in September and October 2007, with support from the Japanese post-rock band Mono, along with Panthers and Coliseum.[9] High on Fire also played on 2008's Gigantour,[10] which was followed by a North American tour with the bands Opeth, Baroness, and Nachtmystium.[11]
Frontman Matt Pike performing in 2016
On December 17, 2008, High on Fire signed a recording deal with Koch Records. On August 1, 2009, it was announced that a new album would be recorded with producer Greg Fidelman.[12] Later that month, following the news of the new album, High on Fire announced a tour with Mastodon, Dethklok, and Converge. The tour spanned from October 2 to November 21.[13]
In August 2009, the band went into post-production of the follow-up to Death Is This Communion at The Pass Studios in Los Angeles. The album artwork for the new album was released on January 7, 2010.[14] On January 15, following the release of the album artwork, the song Frost Hammer was posted on the band's Myspace page,[15] and a video for the song was released on March 16, 2010.[16] High on Fire's fifth album Snakes for the Divine was formally released on February 23, 2010.
In March 2010, the band announced a headlining U.S. tour to promote the album; supporting bands for the tour include Priestess, Black Cobra, and Bison B.C.[17] On April 6, 2010, the band announced they would be opening for Metallica for eight European shows.[18]
In 2010, the band was confirmed as being part of the soundtrack for Namco Bandai Games' 2010 remake of Splatterhouse. On April 3, 2012, High on Fire released their sixth studio album, De Vermis Mysteriis. Metalsucks.net reviews editor Sammy O'Hagar argued that the band has "rebounded in epic fashion" since their last album, and that "Even for a band as esteemed as High on Fire, [De Vermis Mysteriis] is a career high point."[19]
High on Fire was scheduled to play the 2012 Mayhem Festival but dropped off the tour due to Matt Pike's health.[20] Pike returned to the band and they once again began touring in November 2012.
High on Fire's album Luminiferous became available in full for free streaming as a preview with NPR music on June 7, 2015, with the official release of the album nine days later on June 16.[21]Luminiferous is the second High on Fire album in a row produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. NPR reviewer Adrien Begrand credits Kurt Ballou with "helping rejuvenate the band's sound" on their previous album, and praises the album as evidence of High on Fire's consistency, fueled by the "right combination of adherence to formula and subtle experimentation."[21] Dan Epstein, writing for Rolling Stone, concurs that "one could definitely make the case that [Luminiferous] is High on Fire's finest album yet."[22]
Drummer and co-founder Des Kensel announced his departure from the band on July 26, 2019,[25] and he was temporarily replaced by Chris Maggio. Big Business and ex-Melvins drummer Coady Willis ultimately became High on Fire's new drummer in June 2021.[26] With the new lineup, the band recorded a cover of the Motörhead song "Iron Fist", which was released in 2022 on the tribute album Löve Me Förever: A Tribute to Motörhead.[27][28]
On February 16, 2024, High on Fire announced their ninth studio album, Cometh the Storm. It was released on April19, and the single "Burning Down" was released along with the album's announcement, along with the album's title track being released as a single later.[29]
Motörhead were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a precursor to the new wave of British heavy metal, which re-energised heavy metal in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Though several guitarists and drummers have played in Motörhead, most of their best-selling albums and singles feature drummer Phil "Philthy Animal" Taylor and guitarist "Fast" Eddie Clarke. From 1995 until the band's break-up in 2015, the group consisted of Lemmy, guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee.
Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only remaining original members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek "The Skull" Tailer on rhythm guitar, and Jeramie Kling as a touring drummer. Along with Nuclear Assault and Anthrax, the latter of whom would feature one-time Overkill lead guitarist Dan Spitz, the band is one of the most successful East Coast thrash metal bands, and they are often called "the Motörhead of thrash metal", based on their unique playing style, which was influenced by punk rock and the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM). The band has a notable mascot named "Chaly" who has appeared on many of their album covers.
Cephalic Carnage is an American deathgrind band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1992. The band comprises vocalist Leonard Leal, guitarists Steve Goldberg and Brian Hopp, drummer John Merryman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Cephalic Carnage has released six studio albums and toured in North America, Europe and Japan.
Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Oslo in 1984. They were one of the pioneers of the Norwegian black metal scene, and their music has profoundly influenced the black metal genre. Mayhem's early career was marked by controversy, primarily due to their notorious live performances, the 1991 suicide of vocalist Per Yngve Ohlin ("Dead"), and the 1993 murder of guitarist Øystein Aarseth ("Euronymous") by former member Varg Vikernes of Burzum.
Dying Fetus is an American death metal band from Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, formed in 1991. Various lineup changes throughout the years have left John Gallagher as the sole remaining original member, as well as the band's driving force. According to Gallagher, the band name was chosen while the members were young and was intended to be offensive. To date, Dying Fetus has released nine studio albums.
Brutal Truth was an American grindcore band from New York City, formed by ex-Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, and Stormtroopers of Death bass guitarist Dan Lilker in 1990. The group disbanded in 1999, but reformed in 2006 and continued to release music until 2014.
Rotten Sound is a Finnish grindcore band from Vaasa, formed in 1993. The band comprises vocalist Keijo Niinimaa, guitarist Mika Aalto, bassist Matti Raappana, and drummer Sami Latva. The band has released eight studio albums and "earned a reputation for being one of the most intense bands on the Scandinavian death metal/grindcore scene".
Exhumed is an American deathgrind band formed in San Jose, California, that is currently signed to Relapse Records. It is centered around vocalist-guitarist Matt Harvey, who is the leading force of the group, as well as the sole constant member. The band has released nine albums and eight split 7-inch singles. They were formed in 1990, went on hiatus in 2005, and reformed in 2010.
Matthew Lance Pike is an American musician best known as the guitarist of stoner metal/doom metal band Sleep and the frontman of High on Fire. With High on Fire, Pike won the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song "Electric Messiah".
Pentagram is an American doom metal band from Alexandria, Virginia. They are noted as one of the pioneers of heavy metal, particularly of the sub-genre doom metal. As such, they are considered one of the "big four of doom metal" alongside Candlemass, Saint Vitus, and Trouble.
ASG is an American stoner rock/metal band signed to Relapse Records, originating from Wilmington, North Carolina. It is a four-piece band, with Jason Shi on vocals and guitar, Andy Ellis on bass, Scott Key on drums and Jonah Citty on guitar. The band has acquired an underground following, as a number of its songs have been featured in skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding videos.
Blessed Black Wings is the third studio album by American heavy metal band High on Fire. It would be the only with Joe Preston on bass who would be replaced by Jeff Matz.
Job for a Cowboy is an American death metal band from Glendale, Arizona. Formed in 2003, the band's debut album Genesis was released in 2007, peaking at No. 54 on the US Billboard 200 and selling 13,000 copies in its first week of release. The second album, 2009's Ruination, sold 10,600 copies in the United States in its first week to debut at position No. 42 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band comprises vocalist Jonny Davy, guitarists Tony Sannicandro and Al Glassman and bassist Nick Schendzielos. Davy is the only remaining founding member.
Ulcerate is a New Zealand-based extreme metal band formed by guitarist Michael Hoggard and drummer Jamie Saint Merat in 2000. The band have released seven studio albums to date. The band have been featured in numerous articles as one of New Zealand's most prominent extreme metal acts, have toured widely across North America and Europe, and have been compared favourably to bands such as Neurosis and Gorguts. The band's sound has been described as "nauseating, disorienting and gleefully disharmonic", and is characterised by extremely technical death metal with extensive use of dissonance, time signature changes, and complex song structures.
Revocation is an American technical death metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, consisting of guitarist and vocalist Dave Davidson, bassist Brett Bamberger and drummer Ash Pearson. The band has released eight studio albums, two EPs, and ten music videos since their formation.
De Vermis Mysteriis is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band High on Fire. Cover art was done by tattoo artist Tim Lehii.
Alex Garcia-Rivera is an American rock drummer, drum-tech and recording engineer from Boston, Massachusetts. He has been the drummer for the bands Shelter, Piebald, Good Clean Fun, Bloodhorse, 454 Big Block, Saves The Day, Cold Cave, but is best known as the drummer for hardcore/punk band American Nightmare. He also performs all instruments in a solo band under the moniker Chrome Over Brass and owns and operates Mystic Valley Studio, an all-analog recording studio in Medford, Massachusetts.
This is a timeline documenting events of heavy metal in the year 2015.
Luminiferous is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band High on Fire, released on June 23, 2015, through Entertainment One Music. The album was produced by Kurt Ballou who handled production on the band's previous release, De Vermis Mysteriis (2012).
Electric Messiah is the eighth studio album by American metal band High on Fire, released on October 5, 2018, through Entertainment One Music. It is the band's third album to be produced by Kurt Ballou, and it serves as a tribute to Lemmy Kilmister of the band Motörhead. On August 6, 2018, Electric Messiah's title track was released early for streaming. On October 3, 2018, the band released "Spewn from the Earth" as the album's second single. The song "Electric Messiah" won the Best Metal Performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards. It is the band's last album with founding drummer Des Kensel, who announced his departure in July 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
