High On Fire Collection

High on Fire is one of the most muscular and punitive trios since Motorhead. The band is also credited for helping bring heavy music into the 21st century. Founded in 1998 by Matt Pike, High on Fire is known for its uncompromising fusion of doom and stoner metal sound.

While the band has released several under-the-radar albums, like the highly acclaimed Blessed Black Wings, they were positively received. Their subsequent releases, like 2010’s Snakes of the Divine and 2018’s Electric Messiah, helped the band earn their rightful place as one of the most respected heavy metal acts.

Bass player George Rice, vocalist Matt Pike, and drummer Des Kensel formed the band in 1998 following the collapse of Sleep, Pike’s previous band. While Sleep is famous for its copious weed consumption and slothful tunes, High on Fire focuses on heavy metal that’s aggressive and fantasy-themed.

Their debut release, The Art of Self Defense, received enthusiastic reviews, but its prospects were affected by its label’s imminent bankruptcy. Surrounded by Thieves, the band’s second album was released in 2002 by grindcore powerhouse Relapse Records. The release was followed by extensive touring, which helped the band gain more fans.

High on Fire’s third album, Blessed Black Wings was released in 2005. The album featured new bassist Joe Preston. It also helped the band officially spill out of the underground scene into the mainstream. In 2007, they released Death Is This Communion. In 2010, the band’s fifth studio album, Snakes for the Divine, was released.

The album received high praise from fans and critics alike, as did their 2012 release, De Vermis Mysteriis. De Vermis Mysteriis was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. The following year, the band released two live albums, Spitting Fire Live, Vol. 1, and Spitting Fire Live, Vol. 2. The two albums captured their skull-crushing New York performances.

High on Fire teamed up with producer Kurt Ballou again and released Luminiferous, their seventh studio full-length. Electric Messiah, their eight studio-long player, was a tribute to Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. The album won Best Metal Performance at the 2019 Grammy Awards.