BAND SPOTLIGHT: High On Fire favourites, as chosen by the UK's finest doom bands

Through six full-lengths and a number of live releases and EPs, HIGH ONFIRE are an unmistakable force in the realm of heavy metal, influencing many and attracting hordes of avid followers, some of which include many of the UK’s fast rising doom scene.  Today we have invited a number of them to choose their favourite tracks from a band that has inspired others and attracted adulation from many more.  Check out their choices below.  HIGH ON FIRE are touring the UK in support of their new album 'Electric Messiah', 

Dates are as follows:

08/10 Academy 2 Manchester UK

09/10 Tivoli Dublin EIRE

10/10 Limelight 2 Belfast UK

12/10 The Mill Birmingham UK

14/10 SWX Bristol UK

15/10 The Dome London UK

Jon Davis, Conan - https://conan-conan.bandcamp.com/

Track name – “Nemesis”

Album – “Surrounded by Thieves”

The art work for this album struck me immediately. Rotoscoped image of a warrior, pure animated Bakshi Lord of The Rings. Matt’s guitar tone, pure Matamp soupiness. Des’s drums like aeons of a mountain forming, compressed into hammer fall precision. This song is High on Fire a top a mountain, slaying hordes of undead, impossible levels of gore and blood streaming down their armour. TOTAL CARNAGE.

Marc Prentice, Ohhms - https://ohhms.bandcamp.com 

Track name – “DII”

Album – “Death Is This Communion”

I was late to the party when discovering High on Fire (from now on to be written HOF) as my first taste of them was when I bought a copy of 2007’s “Death Is This Communion.”  My sole reason for buying was based purely upon finding out that it was Matt Pike from Sleep’s other band. I was lucky enough to get a copy that had a ‘making of’ DVD. Watching the DVD and then listening to the record was enough to sell me. Riffs aside, I find myself attracted to the critical religious, conspiracy and fantastical theme of the song titles and lyrics. Being a fantasy and Sci-Fi fan, I loved the fantastical themed artwork and I’ve always imagined HOF as the Motorheadfor Tolkien fans.

My ‘Favourite’ track is, unsurprisingly, from “Death Is This Communion”. It’s the instrumental track “DII”. There’s a part in the making of DVD where you see HOF in the studio creating this song and I think this is a part of the reason as to why I enjoy it. It also it’s great because it has a great heavy riff, melodic solo and a great synth part that plays over the end of a track creating a great otherworldly sound. The tone, mood and vibe on this whole record is great and I think this song captures the feel of this record perfectly. Great instrumental track and an amazing record.

Tam Ali, Awooga - https://www.facebook.com/Awoogaband/ 

Track name – “Bastard Samurai” 

Album – “Snakes for the Divine”

Love this tune due to its pure brutality and atmosphere it creates.  Plus, epic PHAT bass.  HOF’s use of fast power chord movement has certainly rubbed off on us somewhere. When I saw this band live about 12 years ago I was so high yet they totally destroyed my buzz by being so fucking brutal.   I then got a boner instead, maybe it was because of Matt being topless…  Don’t think I’ve ever had a weed boner before.

Jim Swainston,  Black Moth - https://www.facebook.com/themothpit

Track name – “Snakes for the Divine”

Album – “Snakes for the Divine”

“Snakes for the Divine”is a song that for me is the essence of Matt Pike boiled down into eight and a half minutes of glorious riffery. It has quite possibly one of the best intros to a metal song of all time. When I hear those first chords ring out with that epic lick over the top I can’t help of that brilliant Pike quote from Such Hawks Such Hounds about heavy being about “pissed off and being a warlord.” You know you're about to be punched in the face with the riff to follow. This is warlording at its finest and you can just picture Pike taking his axe into battle. It’s one of those songs that makes you just wanna get loose in the same way that The Stooges’ Search and Destroy does. Raw fuckin power!! 

Wes Leon, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard - https://mammothweedwizardbastard.bandcamp.com 

Track name – “Bastard Samurai” 

Album – “Snakes for the Divine”

I bought this album whilst stranded in Europe in 2010 when all flights were cancelled because of the ash cloud from the erupting volcano in Iceland and I ended up playing it on repeat due to it being the only cd I had with me for the hotel's cd player. I like the softness of the verses. Something High on Fire don't do much of is go soft but when they do they nail it, & this makes the heavy riff seem even heavier when it comes in. This track stands out for me because of the slower tempo compared to most of the other tracks on the album. I’d say its a good album to be stranded somewhere with. 

Adam Robertshaw, Barbarian Hermit - https://barbarianhermit.bandcamp.com 

Track Name – “Snakes for the Divine”

Album – “Snakes for the Divine”

The title track of High on Fire's fifth album was the first that really caught my attention and for that reason it will always be a stand out track for me. I was a fan of Sleep and had heard the name HOF but when the album received such critical acclaim in the press I decided to check the album out, and from the off you're greeted by this monster. 

As soon as the epic, Maiden-on-steroids intro kicks in you're hooked in and dragged along for the ride as Pike and co blast through gritty thrash and thunderous groove territories. The guitar riffs and bass lines weave in and out of one another like the eponymous snakes in the title. 

You'll definitely hear the influence of this and other Hire on Firetracks like it on our new album “Solitude and Savagery”, especially on songs like “Reawaken”. 

REVIEW: Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard & Slomatics, "Totems"

By: Mark Ambrose

Album Type: Split LP
Date Released:29/03/2018

Label: Black Bow Records

Alter your mind, crank the volume, and worship two of the best of doom metal shaman delivering one of  the stand out releases of 2018 .

“Totems”DD//LP track listing

1. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard – “The Master and His Emissary”

2. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard – “Eagduru!

3. Slomatics –“Ancient Architects”

4. Slomatics– “Silver Ships into the Future”

5. Slomatics– “Masters Descent”

The Review:

Last time I threw on a split album it was the fun, fast cross genre thrashing of Iron Reaganand Gatecreeper– one of those brief, appetite whetting samplers that made me want to search out more of the contributing bands’ back catalogues.  I really enjoy those kind of horizon broadening splits, but the ones that may stick with me most are the LP length collaborations by artists operating in even closer genre proximity.  Take, for example, “Totems” – a formidable, surprisingly cohesive split from young but powerful Welsh psychedelic doomsters Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard and the long-running Irish stoner sludge trio of Slomatics.  Both acts take similar spacey, prog indebted approaches to their massive cuts so the LP stands out as a proper, unified album – but you can’t mistake the unique methods and voices on display between the Mammoth crew and Slomatics.

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard’s opening cut, “The Master and His Emissary”, may be my favorite track on “Totems”.  Starting with a bass and synth intro, it plunges straight into space rock weirdness.  The ascending, chugging verse riff balances with ethereal, multi tracked vocals – largely those of bassist Jessica Ball.  Her delicate, clean tones, contrasted with the gnarly dual guitar heft of Wez Leon and “Dave” Davies, makes for an exciting, unique counterbalance of grim and graceful.  The unique emphasis on cymbal work, juxtaposed with persistent bass drum pounding from drummer James Carrington, is another standout trademark that had me intrigued by MWWB.  And just when I thought “hmmmm it would be interesting if they incorporated the synth intro back into this piece” the ‘Bastard went and did it!  Plus the closing guitar solo is just thrilling.  Unfortunately, after such an exciting opening, “Eagduru” feels like a bit of a disappointment.  A swaying, much more thudding doom dirge, it isn’t a bad cut by any means, but feels less structurally satisfying and complex than the trippy first track.  Ball’s vocals are again haunting and mystical – I’m impressed enough to want to explore the back catalogue.

Slomatics hardly need an introduction at this point, with nearly 15 years and releases in the double digits (including splits and a live LP).  But for me this is another gateway, as I’ve never taken the full plunge into their formidable back catalogue – another grievous error I plan to address immediately.  The heavy doom verses of “Ancient Architects”, countered by Fabrio Frizzi reminiscent synth laden refrains hit right in my metal/horror/scifi/weirdo nerd sweet spots, and I was hooked.  Drummer Marty’s clean vocals have just the right amount of grit, while his kit work is spot on.  Dual guitarists Chris and David are tone masters, shifting to a militaristic trudge in the pummeling midsection, only to crash everything to a tectonic crawl on the outro.  The fuzzed out phaser effects make the whole ending feel impossibly psychedelic, while retaining the paranoid edge of a bad acid freakout.

“Silver Ships into the Future”is a perfectly serviceable instrumental transition, primarily clean, slightly warped keyboards and some nice, menacing ambient tones.  But “Masters Descent” is a genuine work of stoner metal masters.  The savage riff and gently processed, reverb laden vocals is like a Kubrickian transit through time and space.  Marty’s jazzy fills, partnered with what sounds like Mellotron backing tracks, makes the doomy number sound like a haunting mashup with early King Crimson.  The chiming, synth laden, psych dirge latter half is a particularly nice touch, and the vocal work is particularly moving – trust me when I say that’s a disservice to the ineffable power when everything clicks into place for Slomatics.             

In short, “Totems” serves as one of those effective entreaties to explore more from the contributing bands, but also works as a powerful slab of metal, best enjoyed in one long, bleary eyed session, or staring into space and envisioning the types of otherworldly journeys Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard and Slomatics delve into with each new composition.  Alter your mind, crank the volume, and worship the “Totems” of these two linked tribes of doom metal shamans.

“Totems” is available here

Band info: Slomatics || Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard

TERR0R PRESENTS: The Sour 16 for September 2016

By: Aaron Pickford

 

 

It is that time once again people to cast our minds back, and digest the 16 albums that would become September’s most viewed albums and form the basis for our sacrilegious ‘Sour 16’, the finest and most profane riffs around bundled together into a premium sized sonic soufflé.

 

You know the drill, each month; you the reader are unwittingly compiling a list of the top 16 records that we featured in September, covering all genres of metal.  Is it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about their favourite music.  The ‘Sour 16’ are the records that have been trending the most at Sludgelord Headquarters.

 

The results are compiled based on page views alone and calibrated into the list below. All reviews can be viewed by clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible. (Total views since their publication are highlighted in red). 



16). Worshipper - "Shadow Hymns (475) 

Musically, with this being somewhere between Black Sabbath (Dio era in particular), Monster Magnet and anything from Witchfinder General to Angel Witch I feel that there is something for most metal fans to enjoy here. Throughout the eights tracks there are lots of ideas, lots of riffs and uniformly great performances from the band. This album surprised me with its scope and approach, so please lend your support and check Worshipper out as this is a rewarding and well crafted album.

 

15). Thou - "Peasant" (2016) (536)

 

14) Usurpress - "The Regal Tribe" (651)

This album is an album, in a profound, coherent and meaningfWorshiul way. It is heavy, dripping with dynamic and interesting, organic changes. The sound is warm but never suffocating, and it is brutal both when holding back (“The Mortal Tribes”) and unleashing (“Behold the Forsaken”). I hate to use the word genre-defying, but whatever fusion of death, doom, stoner and black metal Usurpress have evolved into, it is their voice, it is seamless and mature, and displays no sense of affectation.

 

13) Lesbian – “Hallucinogensis (656)

“Pyramidal Existinctualism” sounds like Mastodon after their drinks have been spiked with LSD and “Kosmoceratops” is epic fist-pumping thrash that takes a left turn into weird, uncharted territory. “Labrea Borealis” and“Aquilibrium” contain more melodic passages that expand the band’s horizons further into cinematic grandeur before crashing back to Earth for further, wild fretboard explorations. Overall “Hallucinogenesis”sees Lesbian achieve a perfect balance of labyrinthine complexity and headbanging simplicity.

 

12). Tardive Dyskinesia - “Harmonic Confusion” (677)

From cellos to righteous crescendos, this song album plumbs the depths of heavy prog and, weirdly, allows the listener to reach new heights as a result. Paradoxical? Sure. Bloody invigorating? You better believe it, buddy. 10 tracks of heavy, expressive, expansive music, just waiting to show you just how mythical Greek metal can be. Pray to the Old Gods, and seek salvation in‘Harmonic Confusion’.

 

11). Brant Bjork - "Tao of the Devil" (703)

In short, “Tao of the Devil” isn’t much different than Brant’s other albums in that it’s both a look back and a step forward. And like his other solo albums, this one can stand alone as a prime example of what Brant Bjork does best.

10). Asatta - "Spiralling Into Oblivion" (768)

This is cracking stuff and a worthy addition to the ever expanding doom canon, "Three Dials”is Crushingly heavy and really fucking noisy, "Lapse” features some swinging grooves to go with the slothful doom sounds, “She Died Long Ago” is a slow trudge through the darkest of doom- and echoes Candlemass rather than Conan in its approach. A fine debut then and an indication that there are great things to come from Asatta, who have positioned themselves up there with modern doom's elite.

 

09). Mouth of the Architect - "Gates of Flesh" (815)

“Path Of Eight”is a fine demonstration of a band evolving their sound without losing sight of what made them great in the first place. Mouth of the Architect have come into their own with this record and hopefully it will gain them some much deserved attention.

 

08). Khemmis – “Hunted” (891)

Overall, ‘Hunted’ is an extremely solid follow-up to their critically acclaimed first album. It is a melting pot of some hugely powerful styles of heavy metal music and the flawless coalescence between cataclysmic doom and melodic prog is a truly impressive feat. Khemmis are a band on a mission and so far, they’re doing it all right.

07). Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard - "Y Proffwyd Dwyll" (928)

“Y Proffwyd Dwyll” is a celestial voyage of crushing density. “Valmasque” sets the tone for the album, establishing a towering wall of sound built from huge lumbering riffs, set against a backdrop of swirling space noise and sci-fi synths that enhance their attack and swell their sound to a galactic scale. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard have struck gold here with their distinct brand of spaced-out carnage.

 

06). Trap Them - "Crown Feral" (1035)

...the tracks that are strong, like “Hellionaires” and “Revival Spines” in particular, really need to be considered the best stuff Trap Them has ever written. And while opening track “Kindred Dirt” didn't immerse me in the album in the way I'd hoped, by the time we reach “Twitching in the Auras”,there can be no doubt that Trap Them have made a definitive and impressive move forward on all fronts. The sound is overall excellent. Lyrics are angry and powerful and riffs are deep and plentiful. Strongly recommend, and an excellent reason to continue to follow this excellent band closely.

 

05). Giraffe Tongue Orchestra - "Broken Line" (1362)

Giraffe Tongue Orchestra have forged a sound that is unlike any other and more than just the sum of all its parts. “Broken Lines” is, in all, diverse and thrilling and one of the most unpredictable records you’ll hear all year.

04). Meshuggah - "The Violent Sleep of Reason" (1529)

Trying to describe Meshuggah’s sound is a challenge. The only way I can put it is that they’re a musical cascade: a never-ending barrage of sound and heaviness pounding down upon you. Don’t expect or ballad or moments of levity here, this is a relentless tide which you will not escape from. Tracks like ‘MonstoCity’and ‘Our Rage Won’t Die’ are pummelling tracks of new material which can easily be slotted in to their live setlist and not seem out of place. In fact, the same could be said for any of those songs on display here: like a chain forged by Vulcan, there’s not a weak link present. It all hits, and hits hard.

 

03). Ayahuasca – “YIN” (1631)

Throughout, nothing ever quite sits right, like a jigsaw with a few missing pieces: The spasmodic guitar work of ‘Dark Matter God’ is a fitting example of this. Yet they find, upon that uncomfortable platform, a way to drill into your psyche excellently. It may be weird, but it has an uncanny way of selling itself to you.

 

02). Neurosis - "Fires Within Fires" (1674)

 

1). Suicdial Tendencies - "World Gone Mad" (2363)

It flows in a virtually flawless manner and I do believe “World Gone Mad” will be remembered as one of their best records, ever. This one’s a home run with a bullet.

 

A big thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries and for that I am truly grateful.  September’s “Sour 16” features reviews by:  Richard Maw, Theron Moore, Charlie Butler, Chris Bull, Victor Van Ommen, Philip Weller, Conor O’Dea, Jake Wallace, Chris Markwell & Jay Hampshire