High On Fire
Death Is This Communion

The stench of a thousand carcasses lying on a battlefield is the smell of their independence...

This is the spirit I found animating the new, excellent work by High On Fire, the band of former-Sleep member Matt Pike, who, far from the long excursions of his former band Sleep, decided it was the right time to dedicate himself to old-school heavy metal.

If one were to trace the band closest to HOF's attitude, it would definitely be Mastodon, with the difference that HOF show no trace of prog "frills," and their intransigence is a main characteristic, like barbarians who have no intention of taking prisoners. Both, going against the trends that alarmingly took over this vast (yet uninspiring) musical genre, have a mission: to bring back the heavy sounds of their glory days, Mastodon developing them through progressive and complex structures (but not pointless, mind you), while HOF do so in a completely pure manner (but certainly far from harmless tributes/homages), without sterile exhibitions of technicalities or foul and irritating poses. Bands like these two have a very similar conception of heavy metal and, in short, aim to curb the rampant, enormous spread of polished and "gelled" productions that continuously undermine the original spirit of heavy sounds, proving that there are still those who don't see metal as an exhibition of preppy kids with B.C. Rich guitars playing at being tough (isn't that right, Trivium, laughable tarts?).

The concept just expressed is perfectly illustrated by the splendid "fantasy" cover art by Arik Roper, where a warrior triumphs over his enemies, taking their trophies with him (it's easy to imagine to whom those heads might belong). From a purely musical side, the most evident novelty compared to the previous album is a less chaotic and slightly more "streamlined" production, which still maintains the appropriate grime and its primitive ferocity, resulting, all things considered, more effective and meat-cleaving than Steve Albini's. The songs give no respite; the storm they are able to unleash does not allow it, and from furious gallops to epic mid-tempos, they purify the air and fill it with pride.

Another novelty that's impossible not to notice is the perfect similarity of Pike's voice to that legend Lemmy, so that in many parts ("Rumors of War", or the title track, for example), Pike's hoarse/raspy delivery pays the due tribute to someone who made the refusal to compromise musically a life reason. A potentially negative note for more than one listener is that this avalanche that sweeps over them is so heavy and monolithic that it doesn't let them emerge anymore, leaving them lifeless on the ground even before the album is over.

Well, this is heavy music in the true sense of the word, so it should be approached with caution, only when able to engage in extreme listening proposals like "Death is This Communion." In that case, the listening experience will prove truly thrilling and rarely found in other groups, because HOF's passion has created its own musical dimension where annihilation is ordinary. This, even before being an album, is the firm will not to betray certain values of this music lost long ago and to not bow in the slightest to any market law, always in search of the "new sensation" that leaves no mark and fades into oblivion before even being replaced by the next one. This album is not made to be appreciated unconditionally, because it demands something in return: dedication and respect towards those who contributed to the formation of these sounds.