High On Fire Flexes Some Serious Metal Muscle

By Staff in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 11, 2012 7:20PM

It took a little longer for High On Fire's tour in support of their latest, De Vermis Mysteriis, to roll through Chicago. Though it was released in April, the Oakland metal outfit didn't hit the road until mid-November because of lead singer/guitarist Matt Pike's stint in rehab.

But maybe an extended break is exactly what High On Fire needed because they delivered a destructive set full of thrashy, sludgy riffs to a sold out crowd at Double Door last Friday night.

The performance was definitely High On Fire's strongest and most focused Chicago show in quite some time. At the band's 2010 Chicago stop at the Metro for Riot Fest, Pike looked a bit worse for wear. He was pale-faced and sweaty, but, of course, that could have just been tour fatigue, as not even a month earlier he had been touring with influential stoner metal outfit Sleep.

But on Friday night, Pike appeared refreshed both physically and mentally. Though his crowd interaction was little more than announcing song titles, he appeared focused and healthy. His prowess for scorched earth riffs were on display along with his guttural shrieks that completely engulfed the room.

High On Fire didn't waste anytime getting straight to pummeling the crowd's faces. "Serums of Liao," which opens De Vermis Mysteriis, exploded out of the gate with its violent snare-and-tom attack from drummer Den Kensel, which was quickly followed up with the racing sludge riffs of "Frost Hammer," from their 2010 release, "Snakes For The Devine."

And longtime fans were pleased to hear a number of jams from their recently reissued 2000 debut record, "The Art of Self Defense." Bassist Jeff Matz brought forth his inner Mike Inez for the grungy opening of "10,000 Years," and the crooked feel of "Last" was absolutely savage.

But the night's best moments came on what are possibly High On Fire's most epic songs to date, "Madness of an Architect.” Its flesh melting fuzz beginning was pure head-bang porn, which eventually gave way to a hellish slow burn that caused the crowd to erupt in a spontaneous case of fist pumps. Then they concluded with the title track to their 2010 release, "Snakes For The Devine," which seamlessly combines both slithering lead lines and chugging power chords. It's a beast of a song that should definitely rank among metal classics.

High On Fire unleashed a ferocious show of metal muscle, and the key was Pike's rejuvenation. Here's hoping the band become road warriors because there's nearly nothing as invigorating as the live High On Fire experience.

By: Richard Giraldi