52 Albums That Shaped My Life - #42

High On Fire – De Vermiis Mysteriis

(EOne, 2012)

Buy the album here

A friend once described listening to High On Fire as being like “interrupting Lemmy and Tony Iommi having an edifying conversation about H.P. Lovecraft's influence on modern metal and horror, only for both of them to punch you square in the face”. Well, actually, I don't have any friends. But if I did I'd sure like it if they said things like this. Especially about High On Fire, the band most adept at proving how stupid I am. I didn't like them when I first heard them. Terms like “samey” and “over-rated” were thrown around by some sort of unimpressed know-it-all. Nobody was listening to me, obviously, but my feelings on High On Fire were clear to me at least. Not. For. Me.

I don't remember the exact moment I realised I was an idiot, but it could have been hearing “Frost Hammer” from Snakes of the Divine, noticing the unrelenting genius of “Death is this Communion” from the album of the same name, or being torn in half by “Anointing of Seer” from Blessed Black Wings. This is how insane I was.... there are endless songs that prove how good this band are, and however my opinion shift occurred, I'm glad I finally got there. Selecting a High On Fire album to appear on this list was inevitable, even if the album I happened to choose would depend on which one had most recently caved my skull in, commandeered my lifeless body, and transported it to a volcano in order to forge me a more metal head in the swirling lava within.

That album today is De Vermis Mysteriis, named after Robert Bloch and H.P. Lovecraft's grimoire, and produced by the undeniably talented Kurt Ballou of Converge. It's like Motorhead for a new generation. A seemingly monolithic metal prophet tearing his throat to deliver madness and magic to your ears over rampant guitars and a rhythm section so powerful it suggests giants are playing the instruments. It is music to smash your enemies. Music to make you lose your mind. Music to summon ferocious demons while you stomp around the pit. High On Fire's sixth album is everything I want from metal: constantly on the verge of pushing it too far, hurtling towards whatever rest might exist at the end of the riff, smashing all hell out of their instruments, and stacked with amazing riffs.

“Serums of Liao” begins with Des Kensel going absolutely mental at his drum kit. Matt Pike's vicious riff and ripping vocals grab you by the ears and drag you, kicking and screaming, in to the story of Liao. In this loose concept album he's Jesus' dead twin brother who became a time traveller or something.... it matters not the story though because this album's main purpose is to throw you off all the walls, turn you upside down so sweat and blood pour in to your eyes and mouth, and to somehow leave you begging for more. “Bloody Knuckles” does all of this. A killer mid-paced riff gives way to the hard chug of the verse with Pike screaming, “Knuckles thrash their way to find a skull that just can't hide”. Head scans in later life will reveal that I couldn't hide from “Bloody Knuckles”: George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher Neck, fractured spine, and brain damage are all risks of listening to this music.

In “Fertile Green” our time travelling hero seems to discover weed and sex. All we discover is a cool drum intro and another Pike riff designed to remove skin from bodies. Body-shaking bass and unhinged soloing take us to a groovy bridge section which gives us time to contemplate the all-out war taking place within these songs. The opening three songs haven't provided a moment for breath, but maybe Liao smoked too much pot because everything goes a little Sleep over the next two tracks. “Madness of an Architect” is a groove-laden, slow-to-rise, but pissed off beast. “Samsara” has the coolest bass line since Kyuss, and winding solos that turn you inside out and back again on the album's only instrumental.

Regular service is restored on “Spiritual Rites” where an incredible cascading verse riff, furious chorus, and superhuman drumming fire up a storm again. Title track “De Vermis Mysteriis” is hard as nails; tight riffing and drumming seem to keep this song from letting loose until Pike's strained yet somehow soaring chorus vocal lifts us. My neck hates “Romulus and Remus” for its mid-paced, thumping drums and huge riffs. It is an irresistible song with a chorus that is equal parts war cry and pleading to the gods, which sets us up for the album's final assault. “Warhorn” is one of the album's highlights. Its skill in usurping the album's previous norm of full-on attack to slowly build anticipation pays off massively with Pike's gravelly yet melodic chorus and a riff that will stay with you for days.

Yet it's “King of Days” that cements this album as my choice for High On Fire's entry on this list. In taking their foot off the pedal, they have provided us with a burning, floating, beguiling, doom epic replete with spine-tingling bluesy riffs, earth-shifting drums and bass, beautiful solos, and mad, mad crooning. It is the epic tribute song to High On Fire I would write, if I could, and if they hadn't already gone and done it themselves.

I know some of you will still be wondering when you will have your High On Fire moment. Don't worry it'll hit you soon.