High on Fire Announces North American Headlining Tour

Iconic U.S. rock band, High on Fire, has announced a North American headlining tour in support of its celebrated LP, 'Cometh the Storm'. In the midst of sold-out summer dates alongside Acid Bath, the GRAMMY Award-winning group details an autumn headliner run that will launch on September 17 in Vancouver, BC. The tour is scheduled to run through September 30 in San Jose, CA and will feature support from Charger and Bastardane. Tickets for all shows are on sale now.

"High on Fire is headed to stages near you," said the band in statement. "Let's get LOUD."

Additionally, High on Fire has been announced as one of the spotlight acts of Sacramento, CA's four-day Aftershock Festival, performing on October 2. For full details, visit this location.

High on Fire tour dates w/ Acid Bath:

August 16 - Baltimore, MD @ Nevermore Hall
August 22 - Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
September 13 - Syracuse, NY @ Sharkeys Event Center

'Cometh the Storm' autumn North American tour 2025:

September 17 - Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl
September 19 - Edmonton, BC @ The Starlite Room
September 20 - Calgary, AB @ Dickens
September 21 - Great Falls, MT @ The Newberry
September 24 - Colorado Springs, CO @ The Black Sheep
September 25 - Fort Collins, CO @ The Coast
September 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Commonwealth Room
September 28 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place
September 29 - Costa Mesa, CA @ The Wayfarer
September 30 - San Jose, CA @ The Ritz
October 2 - Sacramento, CA @ Discovery Park (as part of Aftershock Fest w/ Testament, Carcass, Nails + more)
October 17 - Jacumba Hot Springs, CA @ Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel (as part of Jacumba Breakdown Fest)

Following the North American dates, High on Fire will kick off a sixteen-city, nine country European tour on October 25 in Maastricht, Netherlands. The tour is scheduled to run through November 16 in Istanbul, Turkey and will include high profile appearances as part of the Samhain Festival (NL), Bruges is Doomed (BE), and the Damnation Festival (UK). Support to High on Fire on non-festival dates will come from Necrot.

High on Fire 'Cometh the Storm' autumn European tour 2025:

October 25 - Maastrichtm NL @ Samhain Festival (w/ Author & Punisher, Conan, more)
October 26 - Bruges, BE @ Bruges is Doomed (w/ Conan, more)
October 28 - Berlin, DE @ Neue Zukunft *
October 29 - Brno CZ @ Kabinet MUZ *
October 30 - Vienna, AT @ Arena Wien *
October 31 - Munich, DE @ Hansa 39 *
November 1 - Milan, IT @ Legend Club *
November 2 - Martigny, CH @ Les Caves du Manoir *
November 4 - Wiesbaden, DE @ Kesselhaus *
November 5 - Essen, DE @ Turock *
November 6 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom *
November 8 - Manchester, UK @ Damnation Festival (w/ Deafheaven, The Haunted, more)
November 11 - Athens, GR @ Kyttaro Club
November 12 - Thessaloniki, GR @ Mylos
November 15 - Cankaya/Ankara, TR @ 6:45 KK
November 16 - Istanbul, TR @ Blind

* = Necrot supporting

Thanks to Action PR for all of the details

"Best of Ramones Redux" new single: RESTLESS SPIRIT feat. Restless Spirit feat. Jeff Matz

For the final advance single from "Marc Urselli's Best of Ramones Redux" that will be released parallel to the forthcoming MER Redux Series installment "Marc Urselli's Ramones Redux", Long Island trio RESTLESS SPIRIT are being joined by HIGH ON FIRE bass player Jeff Matz to pay homage to the RAMONES track 'Poison Heart'.

The liner-notes for the RAMONES album "Mondo Bizarro" (1992), on which the song was originally released, claim that this song was one of three written by the band's (at the time already former) bass player Dee Dee Ramone, who exchanged it for bail money following his arrest for possession of marijuana.

Please find more details about "Best of Ramones Redux" below. Both tribute albums have been scheduled for release on June 6, 2025.

RESTLESS SPIRIT feat. Jeff Matz' rendition of the RAMONES' 'Poison Heart' is now available for publication via this link: https://youtu.be/Y2NMHPidZfE

RESTLESS SPIRIT feat. Jeff Matz 'Poison Heart' taken from the album "Best of Ramones Redux"

RESTLESS SPIRIT comment: "When the idea of doing a Ramones tribute song came up, 'Poison Heart' was our obvious choice", guitarist and vocalist Paul Aloisio writes. "This track has got everything that we like in a song – great leads, a big chorus, and introspective lyrics. On top of this, being able to record with a renowned producer like Marc Urselli was a dream, and of course, collaborating with Jeff from High on Fire is definitely a highlight of our career."

The third and latest RESTLESS SPIRIT full-length "Afterimage" embodies the East Coast trio's aim of never wanting to sound exactly like before. The album serves Long Island deep-fried guitars seasoned with pounding rhythms and emotionally raw vocals. Where predecessor "Blood of the Old Gods" (2021) sometimes ushered the listener into twisted complexity, 

"Afterimage" delivers short, sharp shocks that hit straight home. Embarking on their musical journey very early in life, the band's core of Aloisio and bassist Marc Morello met the summer before Kindergarten and grew up discovering music side by side. Their debut full-length "Lord of the New Depression" (2019) fit equally well into the stoner, doom, and sludge molds, while on "Blood of the Old Gods", the three-piece developed a more varied, melodic approach with added complexity.

Bass player Jeff Matz is best known as the bassist of American stoner metal band HIGH ON FIRE from Oakland, CA. The band was founded by SLEEP vocalist and guitarist Matt Pike together with the band's first bass player George Rice in 1998. The latter was replaced by Joe Preston, who left the band while on tour in 2006. ZEKE bass player Jeff Matz stepped in on short notice and the chemistry worked out so well that he became a full-time member of HIGH IN FIRE during the recording of the fourth full-length "Death Is this Communion" (2007). Matz recorded and toured on the following five albums, with "Cometh the Storm" (2024) being the latest, and he is currently the only remaining full member along with Pike.

Tracklist "Best of Ramones Redux"

1. Voivod feat. JG Thirlwell 'Zero Zero UFO'
2. Destructo Disk feat. Timo Ellis 'I Don't Wanna Be Learned/I Don't Wanna Be Tamed'
3. Impostor Cult feat. Amy Tung Barrysmith 'Pet Sematary'
4. Oscar Dunbar & The Heat Inc. 'You're Gonna Kill That Girl'
5. Daniele Brusaschetto & Chvad SB 'I Can't Be'
6. So Hideous feat. Gary Lucas 'The KKK Took My Baby Away'
7. King Potenaz & Nefariant 'Time Has Come Today'
8. Venamoris feat. Eicca Toppinen 'I Want You Around'
9. Kayo Dot & Ihsahn 'Teenage Lobotomy'
10. Duel 'Chinese Rock'
11. Raw Power feat. Sergio Milani -'I Don't Care'
12. Zeni Geva & Besvärjelsen 'You Should Never Have Opened that Door'
13. Restless Spirit feat. Jeff Matz 'Poison Heart'
14. David J & Paul Wallfisch 'I Wanna Be Sedated'

Rock took a turn towards the bombastic, complex, and symphonic in the early 70s of the last century. YES had released the monumental "Close to the Edge" in 1972, not even a year later GENESIS were "Selling England by the Pound", and LED ZEPPELIN entered the "Houses of the Holy" also in 1973.

It very much looked liked as if the greasy, long-haired kids of rock were all becoming posh and polished. Yet in Downtown New York, a very different scene emerged that begged to differ. In a new club, a bunch of leather-clad rowdy youths that called their band RAMONES gave their debut show at CBGB's on August 16, 1974. They were loud, their hard-hitting songs needed few chords, hardly lasted longer than two minutes, and they barely gave a damn about playing perfect notes. The world of music was about to change forever.

The RAMONES are unquestionably the most ubiquitous American punk rock band of all time, whose spirit of rebellion and music have inspired generations; and still remains alive while all original members have sadly passed far too early.

With three chords and straightforward lyrics, the RAMONES embraced a stripped-down, high-energy approach that was both primal and revolutionary when it arrived in the shape of the self-titled debut album "Ramones" in 1976. They went on to influence some of the most recognizable rock, punk and metal bands of the next several decades, ranging from BLACK FLAG, NIRVANA, METALLICA, CIRCLE JERKS, WHITE ZOMBIE, PEARL JAM, and GUNS N' ROSES, to name just a few. The mighty MOTÖRHEAD even dedicated a song to them.

The RAMONES perfectly represented and encapsulated the essence of the underground, holding true to their sound and style for decades, inspiring multiple generations, and establishing eternal cultural significance despite never achieving true commercial success themselves.

Magnetic Eye's Redux Series was created to pay homage to classic albums from across music history. The label has charged themselves as chroniclers and archivists to contribute to keeping the memory of outstanding artists and records alive and transfer their music to the sound of new generations.

"Ramones Redux" re-imagines and celebrates the punk legends' debut album from start to finish, and is accompanied by "Best of Ramones Redux", which includes new renditions of deep cuts and classics from across their catalog. As a first for a Magnetic Eye Redux release, this homage to the RAMONES has been masterminded and curated by New York City and London-based Italian-Swiss audio engineer, sound designer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy winner Marc Urselli. And while the focus of fans regarding the Redux series is often on the full album homage, the sheer volume of outstanding artists and number of fascinating collaborations offered on this particular "Best of Redux" is simply stunning.

The Magnetic Eye Redux Series and its companion volumes feature hand-picked classic albums from across the history of rock and metal re-imagined in their entirety from start to finish. Artists we love from within and outside the heavy rock landscape choose tracks to make their own, bringing these milestone records into the new millennium with crushing heaviness and searing energy. To date, we've produced Redux editions of PINK FLOYD's "The Wall", HELMET's "Meantime", BLACK SABBATH's "Vol. 4", JIMI HENDRIX's "Electric Ladyland", ALICE IN CHAINS' "Dirt", AC/DC's "Back in Black", SOUNDGARDEN's "Superunknown", and JETHRO TULL's "Aqualung", which have included artists like RED FANG, MATT PIKE, PALLBEARER, THE MELVINS, ALL THEM WITCHES, KHEMMIS, ASG, SUPERSUCKERS, ZAKK WYLDE, MARK LANEGAN, RUBY THE HATCHET, and many more amazing artists.

Join us for our ninth foray into Redux territory as we pay proper respect to the US punk legends RAMONES!

Artist: Various Artists
Album: Marc Urselli's Best of Ramones Redux
Release date: June 6, 2025
Label: Magnetic Eye Records
Style: Doom, Stoner Rock & Metal, Psych Rock et al.
Review impact date: May 12, 2025

Shop: http://lnk.spkr.media/ramones-redux

Formats

"Marc Urselli's Best of Ramones Redux" is available as a Gatefold transparent clear vinyl LP, a Gatefold marbled white, black & silver vinyl LP, and as a Digisleeve CD (incl 3 bonus tracks).

High On Fire - Cometh The Storm (Album Review)

Release Date: April 19th 2024. Record Label: MNRK Heavy. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

Cometh The Storm - Tracklisting

1.Lambsbread

2.Burning Down 

3.Trismegistus

4.Cometh the Storm 

5.Karanlık Yol (instrumental)

6.Sol’s Golden Curse

7.The Beating

8.Tough Guy

9.Lighting Beard

10.Hunting Shadows

11.Darker Fleece

Members

 

Matt Pike - Vocals/Guitar

Jeff Matz - Bass

Coady Willis - Drums

Review

Sludge/Stoner Metal Titans High On Fire return after a lengthy six year absence with their ninth album Cometh The Storm. Teaming up once again with famed musician/producer Kurt Ballou, the band also have Coady Willis (Big Business) drumming for them since Des Kensel left back in 2019. Their 2018 album Electric Messiah saw the band reach greater creative heights which resulted in High On Fire winning the 2019 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance with their song "Electric Messiah".

Cometh The Storm sees High On Fire explore new musical highs with this record having a Middle Eastern flavour to the album especially within the more subdued and instrumental parts of the album. However, this is High On Fire we’re talking about here and they play their classic style of Thrash based Sludge/Stoner Metal grooves that made them such a well known destructive force within the global Heavy Metal scene.

Drawing upon sounds used on classic albums such as: Blessed Black Wings, Death Is This Communion, Snakes For The Divine and their last record Electric Messiah. There seems to be a more sense of primal urgency to the band’s music with Jeff Matz and Coady Willis forming a brilliantly thrilling relationship for Matt Pike to deliver his epic grooves from.

The band blast their way through an outstanding collection of opening tracks with Lambsbread, Burning Down and Trismegistus having that muscular THRASH METAL drive and Matt’s gravelled vocals being sung at a 100 miles per hour just like the music itself. The whole tone within these tracks is one of pure chaos and destruction with some epic guitar shredding that is built for METALHEADS and played by METALHEADS. The sound has a classic Speed Metal approach but one that allows the more modern sounding aesthetics breathe naturally especially within the more Progressive jams.

The lyrics feel more personal here which fully come into focus on the excellent title track Cometh The Storm with a seedy Sludgy groove that moves into dominant Stoner Metal territory the band have made their names with over their legendary twenty five year career. 

HIgh On Fire start to show their new found Psychedelic and Middle Eastern approach on the superb instrumental track Karanlık Yol (instrumental) which is a sound we haven’t heard before. I would expect to hear this style of music perhaps on a record by OM and not High On Fire. Though, it’s great to see the band trying new things and expanding their musical horizons which they used quite effectively on the later stages of the album. There’s a brooding and mysterious element to High On Fire when they add this style of music to the mix.

Cometh The Storm becomes even heavier within tracks such as Sol’s Golden Curse, The Beating, Tough Guy and Lightning Beard with a Motorhead based energy appearing at various times. This is where High On Fire perhaps play the most heaviest and loudest grooves on the whole album. Echoes of Thrash, Doom, Sludge and Stoner melodies are direct and very straight to the point which builds upto an endless cycle of violent head-banging moments.

The final two tracks of Hunting Shadows and Darker Fleece reminds me of Electric Messiah in many ways with stadium sized riffs being quite effective within the “less is more” style being used within the production side of the album. Darker Fleece is a long drawn out track with High On Fire using different levels of Psychedelic Distortion and Ambient Sounds for a slightly DOOMED out offering with various levels of different sounding vocals.

Cometh The Storm is another masterclass of Thrash/Sludge/Stoner Metal from High On Fire that will appeal to everyone within the global Heavy Metal community and cement their reputation once and for all as true legends of the scene. This will no doubt end becoming one of the definitive Sludge/Stoner Metal albums to own this year. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Hold Tight PR for the promo.

Cometh The Storm will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via MNRK Heavy from April 19th 2024.

High On Fire online:

https://www.facebook.com/highonfire

https://twitter.com/HighonFireBand

https://www.instagram.com/highonfireband

https://mnrkheavy.com

High On Fire release video for new album title track Cometh the Storm album out 19th April via MNRK Heavy

Photo by James Rexroad

Iconic GRAMMY-winning U.S. rock band High on Fire have released a video for the title track of their upcoming full-length Cometh the Storm, due for release on 19th April via MNRK Heavy.

Directed by Phil Mucci for Diabolik Films, watch the video for 'Cometh the Storm' here: 

Pre-order/save Cometh the Storm here.

"'Cometh the Storm' was built from a riff I started playing on bass at practice," explains bassist/guitarist Jeff Matz. "I was noodling around with this melancholic harmonic minor line, just hammering the notes with my left hand, when Matt yelled out “Are we recording this!?” The chorus riff was something Coady and I came up with when we were jamming in LA. Matt then came in and worked up some rough lyrics and came up with the vocal line. For the chorus, I used this fretless bass I’d acquired. The weight of the low frequencies this thing produced was insane - how it blended with the guitars and drums, it was like being hit with a sledgehammer. We knew right away that this was going to be an epically heavy track."

“This was the first time I got to work with the guys on set and we had a blast,” offers Mucci. "High on Fire lyrics can always be interpreted in a number of ways, so I started by trying to define “The Storm”. A huge list of visual ideas got whittled down to the two essential characters at work, The Man and Gaia, representing duel ends of the spectrum — with a very destructive crossover. I always try to keep things light and encourage everyone to come with ideas — like Coady’s burning cymbal idea! No better way to end your High on Fire shoot than with exploding cymbals!”

High on Fire will kick off U.S. headlining tour dates in support of Cometh the Storm on 4th May, then head to the UK / EU. Dates:

Jun 04: CZ Brno Kabinet MUZ
Jun 10: DE Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli
Jun 11: DE Cologne Gebäude 9
Jun 12: NL Nijmegen Doornroosje
Jun 14: UK London Islington Assembly Hall
Jun 15: UK Manchester Rebellion
Jun 16: UK Glasgow Slay
Jun 17: UK Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Jun 18: UK Bristol Thekla
Jun 20: FR Wasquehal The Black Lab
Jun 25: FR Toulouse Le Metronum
Jun 26: ES Bilbao Kafe Antzokia
Jul 02: DE Aschaffenburg Colos Saal
Jul 03: CH Dudingen Bad Bonn
Jul 04: IT Torino Ziggy
Jul 06: AT Vienna Arena

The GRAMMY Award-winning group, celebrating their 25th anniversary, recorded Cometh the Storm at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with producer Kurt Ballou. The 11-song effort - the band's ninth studio album - marks the release of the first new High on Fire music since 2018's Electric Messiah and the first to feature drummer Coady Willis (Big Business, Murder City Devils), alongside bassist Jeff Matz, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike.

It has been more than five years since the band’s revered Electric Messiah earned High on Fire ‘Best Metal Performance’ at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, placing the unit among the ranks of groups such as Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as winners of the prestigious award. “Being nominated for a Grammy was pretty mind blowing, but winning one was truly surreal,” says bassist Jeff Matz. “A Grammy win was certainly not something we were aiming for, but it’s quite an honor to be recognized in that way, and we are grateful. In terms of how it’s affected us, it has definitely opened some new doors—we’ve gained some new fans and wider recognition, but it hasn’t changed how we approach our craft. We’ve always tried to create uncompromising music that feels good to us, and is in line with what we would want to listen to.”

In the half decade since the band’s Grammy nod, the world has seismically shifted and is a different place. The same can be said for High on Fire. The band’s musical archetype has been modded, morphed, and evolved; its blast radius widened. Bassist Jeff Matz joined Mutoid Man and traveled abroad to study and learn the techniques of Middle Eastern folk music and the plucked string instrument, the bağlama (or saz), Matt Pike formed a solo band, released an LP, and toured the U.S., and world-renowned percussionist, Coady Willis, he of Melvins, Big Business, and Murder City Devils united with Pike and Matz to breathe new life into the group a quarter century into their captivating career.

The lead track on High on Fire’s new album, Cometh the Storm, is the invigorating 'Burning Down', a vigorous barrage which exemplifies the prowess the unification of the three professional musicians owns.

Universally recognised as one of the most potent acts in music today, High on Fire creates dynamic metal that merges primal fury and aggression, hesher bombast and hall of fame heaviness. Described as "a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume," High on Fire has rewritten the hard rock rule book since their formation in 1998, forging a style and sound that is both critically celebrated and unique. The group features vocalist and cult guitar hero Matt Pike (also a founding member of the famed underground band SLEEP) singular bassist Jeff Matz, and powerhouse drummer Coady Willis.

 
High on Fire are:

Matt Pike: guitar, vocals
Jeff Matz: bass, guitar, bağlama, mellotron, percussion
Coady Willis: drums, percussion, vocals

High On Fire online:

https://www.facebook.com/highonfire
https://twitter.com/HighonFireBand
https://www.instagram.com/highonfireband
https://mnrkheavy.com

Track-list:

1. Lambsbread (5:45)
2. Burning Down (6:13)
3. Trismegistus (5:36)
4. Cometh The Storm (6:12)
5. Karanlık Yol (3:46)
6. Sol’s Golden Curse (4:52)
7. The Beating (2:29)
8. Tough Guy (3:44)
9. Lightning Beard (3:33)
10. Hunting Shadows (5:40)
11. Darker Fleece (9:59)

Thanks to Hold Tight PR and Action PR for all of the info.

Hardcore/Punk/Sludge Metallers Silverburn (ex-Taint & Hark) announce UK tour with High on Fire

Photo Credits by Chris Treseder

SILVERBURN, the new solo project by James ‘Jimbob’ Isaac (Hark & Taint) released their debut album Self Induced Transcendental Annihilation via MSH Group Music in August last year.

Welsh metal visionary Jimbob Isaac, known from his previous bands Taint and Hark, recorded the album during lockdown in 2020. He handled all vocals, guitar, bass and drums himself. With this album, Jimbob has meticulously crafted a wholly uncompromising solo offering in the truest sense. It has been said that extreme conditions demand extreme responses, and Self Induced Transcendental Annihilation ('SITA') began as an elemental response to the almighty global gut-punch that surrounded it’s creation.

From the world-ending double-kick maelstrom of opening track “Annihilation” to the cinematic, discordant chug and release of “Etheric Crush” this album draws from Isaac’s beloved eras of 90’s metal and 00’s metallic hardcore, noisecore, space and sludge metal and bands like Botch, Mastodon, Knut, Converge, Keelhaul, Crowbar, Sepultura, Neurosis and Helmet.

Now following shows with Crowbar and a slot at ArcTanGent festival, SILVERBURN, will tour the UK in June this year with High on Fire. Jimbob comments,

"Silverburn are pumped for this tour. I've made artwork for High on Fire in the past, and have known Jeff (Matz) for many years. These will be some intense shows, so prepare for maximum pummel”.

SILVERBURN tour w/ High on Fire

June 14th – Islington Assembly Hall, London, England
June 15th – Rebellion - Manchester, England
June 16th – Slay - Glasgow, Scotland
June 17th – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, England
June 18th – Thekla, Bristol, England

Tickets are on sale now - https://linktr.ee/highonfireband

SILVERBURN are also set to perform at Desertfest London on 19th May.

The band recently announced that their debut album, originally only available on CD and digitally, will now be released on limited edition vinyl on 20th May.

Order the album now - https://silverburnmusic.bandcamp.com/album/self-induced-transcendental-annihilation

Silverburn online: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram

Thanks to For The Lost PR for all of the details.

High On Fire release video for 'Burning Down'. Cometh the Storm album out 19th April via MNRK Heavy

Photo Credit by James Rexroad

Iconic GRAMMY-winning U.S. rock band High on Fire have released a video for new single 'Burning Down', taken from their upcoming full-length Cometh the Storm due for release on 19th April via MNRK Heavy.

Watch the video for 'Burning Down' here: 

Pre-order/save High on Fire's Cometh the Storm here.

The 'Burning Down' video was captured live and on location at GodCity by Jason Zucco during the recording of Cometh the Storm. Portions of the video footage feature direct takes of the album's recording sessions, including the fervent vocals of Matt Pike.

The 'Burning Down' video drop follows the release of a haunting, fever dream visualizer for the powerhouse song, created by Lars Kristoffer Hormander. 

Experience High on Fire's 'Burning Down' visualizer here: https://youtu.be/MJ9yIWBb4pY

“'Burning Down' kicks off with a classic Pike riff,” says Jeff Matz. “I think this song harkens back to the early High on Fire sound, but infused with fresh, new elements. It has a killer groove that you can really sink into. The body of the song took shape in our PNW rehearsal space, and we came up with the bridge/solo section and finalized the arrangement while we were at GodCity. Kurt Ballou’s input as a producer was also hugely helpful. His keen ears and fresh perspective were invaluable in making this album.”

The GRAMMY Award-winning group, celebrating their 25th anniversary, recorded Cometh the Storm at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with producer Kurt Ballou. The 11-song effort - the band's ninth studio album - marks the release of the first new High on Fire music since 2018's Electric Messiah and the first to feature drummer Coady Willis (Big Business, Murder City Devils), alongside bassist Jeff Matz, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike.

 

It has been more than five years since the band’s revered Electric Messiah earned High on Fire ‘Best Metal Performance’ at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, placing the unit among the ranks of groups such as Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as winners of the prestigious award. “Being nominated for a Grammy was pretty mind blowing, but winning one was truly surreal,” says bassist Jeff Matz. “A Grammy win was certainly not something we were aiming for, but it’s quite an honor to be recognized in that way, and we are grateful. In terms of how it’s affected us, it has definitely opened some new doors—we’ve gained some new fans and wider recognition, but it hasn’t changed how we approach our craft. We’ve always tried to create uncompromising music that feels good to us, and is in line with what we would want to listen to.”

 

In the half decade since the band’s Grammy nod, the world has seismically shifted and is a different place. The same can be said for High on Fire. The band’s musical archetype has been modded, morphed, and evolved; its blast radius widened. Bassist Jeff Matz joined Mutoid Man and traveled abroad to study and learn the techniques of Middle Eastern folk music and the plucked string instrument, the bağlama (or saz), Matt Pike formed a solo band, released an LP, and toured the U.S., and world-renowned percussionist, Coady Willis, he of Melvins, Big Business, and Murder City Devils united with Pike and Matz to breathe new life into the group a quarter century into their captivating career.

 

The lead track on High on Fire’s new album, Cometh the Storm, is the invigorating 'Burning Down', a vigorous barrage which exemplifies the prowess the unification of the three professional musicians owns. 

Universally recognized as one of the most potent acts in music today, High on Fire creates dynamic metal that merges primal fury and aggression, hesher bombast and hall of fame heaviness. Described as "a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume," High on Fire has rewritten the hard rock rule book since their formation in 1998, forging a style and sound that is both critically celebrated and unique. The group features vocalist and cult guitar hero Matt Pike (also a founding member of the famed underground band SLEEP) singular bassist Jeff Matz, and powerhouse drummer Coady Willis. 

High on Fire are:

Matt Pike: guitar, vocals

Jeff Matz: bass, guitar, bağlama, mellotron, percussion

Coady Willis: drums, percussion, vocals

High on Fire online:

https://www.facebook.com/highonfire

https://twitter.com/HighonFireBand

https://www.instagram.com/highonfireband

https://mnrkheavy.com

Track-list: 

1. Lambsbread (5:45)

2. Burning Down (6:13)

3. Trismegistus (5:36)

4. Cometh The Storm (6:12)

5. Karanlık Yol (3:46)

6. Sol’s Golden Curse (4:52)

7. The Beating (2:29)

8. Tough Guy (3:44)

9. Lightning Beard (3:33)

10. Hunting Shadows (5:40)

11. Darker Fleece (9:59)

High on Fire recently announced new EU and UK tour dates this Summer.

Jun 04: CZ Brno Kabinet MUZ

Jun 10: DE Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli

Jun 11: DE Cologne Gebäude 9

Jun 12: NL Nijmegen Doornroosje

Jun 14: UK London Islington Assembly Hall

Jun 15: UK Manchester Rebellion

Jun 16: UK Glasgow Slay

Jun 17: UK Leeds Brudenell Social Club

Jun 18: UK Bristol Thekla

Jun 20: FR Wasquehal The Black Lab

Jun 25: FR Toulouse Le Metronum

Jun 26: ES Bilbao Kafe Antzokia

Jul 02: DE Aschaffenburg Colos Saal

Jul 03: CH Dudingen Bad Bonn

Jul 04: IT Torino Ziggy

Jul 06: AT Vienna Arena

Thanks to Hold Tight PR for all of the details.

High On Fire announce new album and release new single/video 'Burning Down'

Photo by James Rexroad

 

Iconic U.S. rock band High on Fire will release their new full-length Cometh the Storm on 19th April via MNRK Heavy. The lead track, 'Burning Down', which comes in the form of a haunting, fever dream video, is now available.

Watch the video for 'Burning Down' below:

Pre-order/save High on Fire's Cometh the Storm here

“'Burning Down' kicks off with a classic Pike riff,” says Jeff Matz. “I think this song harkens back to the early High on Fire sound, but infused with fresh, new elements. It has a killer groove that you can really sink into. The body of the song took shape in our PNW rehearsal space, and we came up with the bridge/solo section and finalized the arrangement while we were at GodCity. Kurt Ballou’s input as a producer was also hugely helpful. His keen ears and fresh perspective were invaluable in making this album.”

The GRAMMY Award-winning group, celebrating their 25th anniversary, recorded Cometh the Storm at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with producer Kurt Ballou. The 11-song effort - the band's ninth studio album - marks the release of the first new High on Fire music since 2018's Electric Messiah and the first to feature drummer Coady Willis (Big Business, Murder City Devils), alongside bassist Jeff Matz, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike.

It has been more than five years since the band’s revered Electric Messiah earned High on Fire ‘Best Metal Performance’ at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, placing the unit among the ranks of groups such as Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as winners of the prestigious award. “Being nominated for a Grammy was pretty mind blowing, but winning one was truly surreal,” says bassist Jeff Matz. “A Grammy win was certainly not something we were aiming for, but it’s quite an honor to be recognized in that way, and we are grateful. In terms of how it’s affected us, it has definitely opened some new doors—we’ve gained some new fans and wider recognition, but it hasn’t changed how we approach our craft. We’ve always tried to create uncompromising music that feels good to us, and is in line with what we would want to listen to.”

In the half decade since the band’s Grammy nod, the world has seismically shifted and is a different place. The same can be said for High on Fire. The band’s musical archetype has been modded, morphed, and evolved; its blast radius widened. Bassist Jeff Matz joined Mutoid Man and traveled abroad to study and learn the techniques of Middle Eastern folk music and the plucked string instrument, the bağlama (or saz), Matt Pike formed a solo band, released an LP, and toured the U.S., and world-renowned percussionist, Coady Willis, he of Melvins, Big Business, and Murder City Devils united with Pike and Matz to breathe new life into the group a quarter century into their captivating career.

The lead track on High on Fire’s new album, Cometh the Storm, is the invigorating 'Burning Down', a vigorous barrage which exemplifies the prowess the unification of the three professional musicians owns.

Universally recognized as one of the most potent acts in music today, High on Fire creates dynamic metal that merges primal fury and aggression, hesher bombast and hall of fame heaviness. Described as "a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume," High on Fire has rewritten the hard rock rule book since their formation in 1998, forging a style and sound that is both critically celebrated and unique. The group features vocalist and cult guitar hero Matt Pike (also a founding member of the famed underground band SLEEP) singular bassist Jeff Matz, and powerhouse drummer Coady Willis.

 
High on Fire are:

Matt Pike: guitar, vocals
Jeff Matz: bass, guitar, bağlama, mellotron, percussion
Coady Willis: drums, percussion, vocals

High on Fire online:

https://www.facebook.com/highonfire
https://twitter.com/HighonFireBand
https://www.instagram.com/highonfireband
https://mnrkheavy.com

Track-list:

 
1. Lambsbread (5:45)
2. Burning Down (6:13)
3. Trismegistus (5:36)
4. Cometh The Storm (6:12)
5. Karanlık Yol (3:46)
6. Sol’s Golden Curse (4:52)
7. The Beating (2:29)
8. Tough Guy (3:44)
9. Lightning Beard (3:33)
10. Hunting Shadows (5:40)
11. Darker Fleece (9:59)

High on Fire recently announced new EU and UK tour dates this Summer.

Jun 04: CZ Brno Kabinet MUZ
Jun 10: DE Hamburg Bahnhof Pauli
Jun 11: DE Cologne Gebäude 9
Jun 12: NL Nijmegen Doornroosje
Jun 14: UK London Islington Assembly Hall
Jun 15: UK Manchester Rebellion
Jun 16: UK Glasgow Slay
Jun 17: UK Leeds Brudenell Social Club
Jun 18: UK Bristol Thekla
Jun 20: FR Wasquehal The Black Lab
Jun 25: FR Toulouse Le Metronum
Jun 26: ES Bilbao Kafe Antzokia
Jul 02: DE Aschaffenburg Colos Saal
Jul 03: CH Dudingen Bad Bonn
Jul 04: IT Torino Ziggy

Jul 06: AT Vienna Arena

Thanks to Hold Tight PR for all of the details. 

HIGH ON FIRE announce UK headline tour and European Dates

HIGH ON FIRE have announced a UK headline run as part of their festival tour this summer; the band's first UK dates since winning the Best Metal Performance Grammy in 2019. 

Touring in support of their Electric Messiah album, check out the single 'Spewn From The Earth' here: https://youtu.be/ZOdZZ-hnToE

Dates:

19/06 - Dessel, BE - Graspop Metal Meeting
20/06 - Clisson, FR - Clisson - Hellfest
22/06 - Brighton, UK - Chalk Venue Brighton
23/06 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece Bristol
24/06 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
25/06 - Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
26/06 - London, UK - The Garage
28/06 - Helsinki, FL - Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
30/06 - Stockholm, SE - Nalen
01/07 - Oslo, NO - Parkteatret
02/07 - Roskilde, DK - Roskilde Festival
04/07 - Dokkum, NL - Dokk'em Open Air
05/07 - Essen, DE - Turock
06/07 - Hamburg, DE - Bahnhof Pauli
08/07 - Wiesbaden, DE - Kesselhaus
09/07 - Munich, DE - Backstage Club München
10/07 - Erfurt, DE - Stoned from the Underground - Festival
11/07 - Vizovice, CZ - Masters of Rock
 

HIGH ON FIRE released Electric Messiah last year to some serious critical acclaim. The A.V. Club stated that "The bar for metal album of the year has been raised" and they couldn't be more correct. Electric Messiah has landed on a myriad of 2018 year-end lists including Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, A.V. Club, Revolver, Loudwire and Consequence of Sound. Consequence of sound said the new LP “successfully construct Sabbath-ian, earth-moving riffs as their blueprint." Pitchfork said boldly, “When High On Fire rip, it’s like they're tearing through the whole universe.”  “I had a dream about Lemmy,” says Pike, explaining the inspiration behind the title of HIGH ON FIRE’s title track, "Electric Messiah." “When Lemmy was still alive I always got compared to Lemmy,” the gravelly-voiced guitarist elaborates, “so I had this dream where he got pissed at me." "He gave me a bunch of shit, basically, and was hazing me. Not that he didn’t approve of me, but like I was being hazed. The song is me telling the world that I could never fill Lemmy’s shoes because Lemmy’s Lemmy. I wanted to pay homage to him in a great way. And it turned out to be such a good title that the guys said we should call the album 'Electric Messiah.'" Purchase Electric Messiah here: http://smarturl.it/ElectricMessiah

More about the band: 

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Spotify 

High On Fire - Electric Messiah (Album Review)

Release date: October 05^th 2018. Label: eOne. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Electric Messiah – Tracklisting

Spewn from the Earth

Steps of the Ziggurat_House of Enlil

Electric Messiah

Sanctioned Annihilation

The Pallid Mask

God of the Godless

Freebooter

The Witch and the Christ

Drowning Dog

Members

Matt Pike - Guitars, Vocals

Des Kensel - Drums

Jeff Matz - Bass

Review

Greetings All,

What a year 2018 has been, killer music has been coming fast and furious from every direction. You know the moon and stars have aligned perfectly when you get a new Sleep record (and single) and a new High on Fire record in the same year. Speaking of fast and furious, you have Electric Messiah, High on Fire’s 8th record. Sleep/HoF are two sides of the Matt Pike coin. It is a big, heavy coin, with the Yin of the more laid back heaviness to the Yang of HoF’s monstrous, breakneck speed.

With Electric Messiah, Pike and company offer a fittingly immense tribute to the mighty Lemmy and Motorhead. There are quite a few moments on the album that you can feel the band channelling the spirit and power of the mighty Motorhead. The record succeeds on many levels with it’s combination of Motorhead feel and High on Fire power. The record opens with the truly Motorhead inspired ferocity of Spewn from the Earth. A killer high tempo track that does a tremendous job of setting the tone for the album. The more traditional High on Fire track(s)

Steps of the Ziggeruat/House of Enlil follows. The pace is slowed a bit with an immense drum sound and chugging riff to start the song then the band shifts the tempo a bit ominous bass heavy and more monstrous drumming. The title track follows, Electric Messiah, picks up the pace again and does a smashing job of combining the Motorhead/HoF sounds. The track is killer with breakneck punk speed and a massive double drum attack.

Sanctioned Annihilation pulls a little bit from the Sleep play-book with a bit of a meditative guitar opening before exploding with a relentless guitar and drum attack that annihilates the listener with some face melting solos. The Pallad Mask is a prototypical slab of High On Fire riffage. A massive intro brings God of the Godless to life. This monstrous track is flourished with high tempo cymbal crashes.

Another killer track comes with Freebooter and it’s breakneck pace. The speed of this song is wickedly intense with some more awe inspiring soloing. The angry and dark The Witch & The Christ comes in with an eerie, driving intensity and a big drum sound. The closer is another amazing track. Drowning Dog has a big guitar intro and an absolutely killer hook in the chorus of “Goddamn you..” The song is a massive, damning monster.

I wasn’t sure if I would hear a better record than Sleep’s massive return earlier this year, but we may have found it with Electric Messiah. High on Fire has had a complete return to form with this beast. The world is truly a better place with an inspired Matt Pike, and 2018 has given that to us. If you dig Sleep, Motorhead, or High on Fire than I cannot recommend Electric Messiah enough. Dig on it, you will not be disappointed!

- Todd S

Instagram @alltheghoststhathauntyou

Words by Todd Stealey

Thanks to Lisa at Hold Tight! PR for the promo. Electric Messiah will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via eOne and all good stockists from October 05^th 2018.

Links:

Official | Facebook