If ever an album cover gave you an idea of how the music within sounds, this would be the one. We have before us a horde of mail-clad warriors looking like they will kill anything that moves. The scene is dark and gloomy but lit by the flickering light of flames. In the foreground we see the most ominous warrior of all, axe poised for murder. The imagery summons up perfectly where High On Fire are coming from. This is dangerously heavy music, reeking of majesty and belligerence. The doom/sludge/stoner genre of metal is taking a life of its own and along with Electric Wizard and Warhorse, HOF is at the forefront. These guys are no bandwagon jumpers either...lead singer/guitarist Matt Pike was the mind behind the cult doom band Sleep.

Whereas Sleep was trippy Sabbath influenced music with a heavy dose of 60's/70's retro textures, High On Fire is more aggressive. It's certainly not death metal, but the musty production recalls the early 80s and stuff like Bathory and Hellhammer. The guitar just oozes with raw power. Riffs slide greasily into each other instead of locking together geometrically like so many other bands. The thick and syrupy bass would do Geezer Butler proud, and always hammering in the background is the jacked-up double bass of Des Rendel.

It's not as whacked out or monotonous as the newest Electric Wizard and it's fairly easy to get into if you accept the band's genre. In fact, several tunes like "Razor Hoof" and "Nemesis" are pretty compact. This definitely does not drone on and on. The more I listen to "Surrounded By Thieves", the more it soaks into me like a sonic poison. This is brutally entrancing heavy metal and highly recommended to everybody who likes their music loud!

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2002 Year Book Volume 2 at  garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2001-and-2002.