High on Fire
Encyclopedia
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike
Matt Pike
Matt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....

, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep
Sleep (band)
Sleep is a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned critical and record label attention early in their career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal...

.

History

High On Fire was founded in 1998 by former Sleep
Sleep (band)
Sleep is a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned critical and record label attention early in their career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal...

 guitarist Matt Pike
Matt Pike
Matt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....

, drummer Des Kensel
Des Kensel
Des Kensel is the drummer of the stoner metal band High on Fire.In the early 1990s, Des Kensel played drums for the New Haven, CT band Mindwar.Des Kensel is married, he also has a young son....

, and bassist George Rice (from Dear Deceased, who originally
auditioned to be the band's vocalist). The band's first full-length album The Art of Self Defense was released on 12th Records, and released later on
Man's Ruin Records
Man's Ruin Records
Man's Ruin Records was an independent record label, owned and founded by Bay Area artist Frank Kozik. After the 1994 release of Man's Ruin's first record, entitled Experimental Audio Research : Delta 6, Kozik worked with artists who he wanted to release; he also designed all of the sleeve art for...

. (The album would later be re-released by Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records is an independent record label located in New York City in the United States, made popular by the signing of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Artists :*Ancestors*Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound*The Atomic Bitchwax...

, with two bonus tracks, as Man's Ruin Records had become defunct.)

In 2001, High On Fire signed a record deal with Relapse Records
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado...

 and recorded the album Surrounded by Thieves
Surrounded by Thieves
Surrounded by Thieves is the second album by Californian stoner metal band High on Fire. It was their first album for Relapse Records and was produced by Billy Anderson and the band itself. It is generally considered one of the finest metal albums of 2002. "Hung, Drawn and Quartered" was utilized...

. The album was released on May 28, 2002. After the tours promoting Surrounded by Thieves, bassist George Rice left the band and was replaced by ex-Melvins
The Melvins
The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...

/Thrones
Thrones (band)
Thrones is the solo project of bassist Joe Preston.-Biography:Thrones began in 1994 with an untitled cassette on the Punk in My Vitamins? label. He soon released the "Reddleman" single. In 1996, Thrones signed to Communion Records to issue the full-length album Alraune...

 bassist Joe Preston
Joe Preston (bassist)
Joe Preston is a rock bass guitarist and a former band member of Earth, The Melvins, Men's Recovery Project, The Need and High on Fire. Preston has also played with Sunn O))), and has a solo project called Thrones. Joe Preston learned bass from Alexander Giles. In 2007, he joined Harvey Milk in...

.

The band's next album, 2005's Blessed Black Wings
Blessed Black Wings
Blessed Black Wings is the critically acclaimed third album from High on Fire. The vinyl version was released as a double LP and contains a bonus track, "Rapid Fire," originally by Judas Priest....

, was largely written by Pike and Kensel before the recording of the album took place. The album was produced by Steve Albini
Steve Albini
Steven Frank Albini is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, audio engineer and music journalist. He was a member of Big Black, Rapeman, and Flour, and is currently a member of Shellac...

,
and was released on February 1, 2005. A music video was produced for the song Devilution
Devilution
Devilution is a song by High on Fire in their album Blessed Black Wings.The song was featured on the soundtrack of the video game Tony Hawk's American Wasteland.The song has its own music video.- References :Blessed Black Wings...

. While
touring with Goatwhore
Goatwhore
Goatwhore is an American blackened death metal band, formed in 1997 in New Orleans, Louisiana.- Biography :Goatwhore was formed by singer/guitarist Sammy Duet following the breakup of his previous band, Acid Bath. Soilent Green singer L...

 and Watch Them Die to promote Blessed Black Wings, Joe Preston left the band for undisclosed reasons, and was temporarily replaced by
Zeke
Zeke (band)
Zeke is an American hardcore punk band from Seattle, Washington formed in 1993. They are known for their extremely fast, energetic guitar sound. Zeke mixes this with strong influences from hard rock, and occasionally blues-rock, and are often compared to Motörhead.Zeke has released six full-length...

 bassist Jeff Matz. 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
Death Is This Communion is the fourth full-length album by High on Fire. It was released on September 10, 2007 in Europe and September 18 in the United States...

. 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
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...

 band Mono
Mono (Japanese band)
Mono are a Japanese post rock band, formed in 1999 in Tokyo, Kantō, Honshū. The band consists of Takaakira Goto , Yoda , Tamaki Kunishi , and Yasunori Takada .Mono have released five studio albums...

, along with Panthers
Panthers (band)
Panthers is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York. The Village Voice described them as "groundbreaking dissonant HC with Rolling Stones swagger." Three members were previously in the hardcore band Orchid. Panthers have released four records. The most recent two, The Trick and Things Are...

 and
Coliseum. High on Fire also played on 2008's Gigantour
Gigantour
Gigantour is the name of a sporadically organised traveling heavy metal music festival organized by Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. The tour was founded in 2005 with dates across North America, and the 2006 and 2007 line-ups also traveled to Australia...

, which was followed by a North American tour with the bands Opeth
Opeth
Opeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...

, Baroness
Baroness (band)
Baroness is a band from Savannah, Georgia whose members grew up together in Lexington, Virginia.-Formative years:Baroness formed in mid-2003, founded by former members of the punk/metal band Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks...

, and
Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium
Nachtmystium is an American psychedelic black metal band formed by Blake Judd, formerly known as Azentrius, and Pat McCormick. The band's name is derived from the German word Nacht meaning "night", and the made-up term mystium which resembles the Latin adjective mysticum...

.

On December 17, 2008, High on Fire signed a recording deal with Koch Records
Koch Records
E1 Music , the primary subsidiary of E1 Entertainment LP, is the largest independent record label in the United States. It is also distributed by the Universal Music Group in Europe under the name E1 Universal...

. On August 1, 2009, it was announced that a new album would be recorded with producer Greg Fidelman
Greg Fidelman
Greg Fidelman is an American music engineer, producer and mix engineer. He has worked with many renowned and highly regarded bands in various genres, many in the heavier rock or metal genres, including Metallica, Slayer, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Bush, Audio Slave, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, and...

. Later than month, following the news of the new album, High on Fire announced a tour with Mastodon
Mastodon (band)
Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...

, Dethklok
Dethklok
Dethklok is both a virtual band featured in the Adult Swim animated program Metalocalypse, as well as a real band created to perform the band's melodic death metal music in live shows. The band was created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. The music heard on Metalocalypse is performed by Brendon...

, and Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...

. The tour spanned from October 2 to November 21.

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
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. The album artwork for the new album was released on January 7, 2010. On January 15, following the release of the album artwork, the song Frost Hammer was posted on the band's Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

 page, and a video for the song was released on March 16, 2010. Snakes for the Divine
Snakes for the Divine
Snakes for the Divine is the fifth studio album by High on Fire.-History and recording:Snakes for the Divine was recorded at The Pass Studios in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman. The album cover art and track listing were revealed on the band's Myspace page on January 6, 2010. Snakes for the...

 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
Priestess (band)
Priestess is a Canadian stoner rock band formed in 2003 by Mikey Heppner , Mike Dyball , Vince Nudo , and Dan Watchorn .-Biography:...

, Black Cobra
Black Cobra
Black Cobra is a doom and sludge metal band from San Francisco, California. The band was formed in 2002 by Jason Landrian and Rafael Martinez .-Band members:* Jason Landrian - Guitar, Vocals, formerly in Cavity...

, and Bison B.C.
Bison B.C.
Bison B.C. are a heavy metal band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.They are currently signed to California based Metal Blade records....

. On April 2, 2010, the band announced they would be opening for Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...

 for eight European shows.

In 2010, the band was confirmed as being part of the soundtrack for Namco Bandai Games
Namco Bandai Games
is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...

' 2010 remake of Splatterhouse.

Discography

  • High On Fire (EP) (1999, 12th Records)
  • The Art Of Self Defense  (2000, Man's Ruin Records)
  • Surrounded by Thieves
    Surrounded by Thieves
    Surrounded by Thieves is the second album by Californian stoner metal band High on Fire. It was their first album for Relapse Records and was produced by Billy Anderson and the band itself. It is generally considered one of the finest metal albums of 2002. "Hung, Drawn and Quartered" was utilized...

     
    (2002, Relapse Records)
  • Hung, Drawn & Quartered / March Of The Fire Ants (split with Mastodon
    Mastodon (band)
    Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...

    )
    (2003, Relapse Records)
  • Brother In The Wind / Gwodhunqa (split with Ruins) (2005, Skin Graft Records)
  • Live from the Relapse Contamination Festival
    Live from the Relapse Contamination Festival
    Live From the Relapse Contamination Festival is a live album by High on Fire. It was recorded during the 2003 Contamination Festival, and originally released in a limited quantity of 2,000 in 2005...

     
    (2005, Relapse Records)
  • Blessed Black Wings
    Blessed Black Wings
    Blessed Black Wings is the critically acclaimed third album from High on Fire. The vinyl version was released as a double LP and contains a bonus track, "Rapid Fire," originally by Judas Priest....

     
    (2005, Relapse Records)
  • Death Is This Communion
    Death Is This Communion
    Death Is This Communion is the fourth full-length album by High on Fire. It was released on September 10, 2007 in Europe and September 18 in the United States...

     
    (2007, Relapse Records)
  • Relapse Single Series (split with Coliseum & Baroness) (2003, Relapse Records)
  • Snakes for the Divine
    Snakes for the Divine
    Snakes for the Divine is the fifth studio album by High on Fire.-History and recording:Snakes for the Divine was recorded at The Pass Studios in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman. The album cover art and track listing were revealed on the band's Myspace page on January 6, 2010. Snakes for the...

     
    (2010, E1 Music)

External links

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