In the late 90’s when High on Fire started with Sleep’s Matt Pike, it was seen as not much more than a side project for the prolific lick riffer while biding his time waiting to rendezvous with his main band but by the time ‘Luminiferous’ is released in 2015, the band’s seventh LP, HOF didn’t just stand for High on Fire but also HALL OF FAME on the sacred mountain of riffs.
And that’s what we see on this beautiful cover by artist (and Matt Pike’s roommate) Jordan Barlow. ‘Luminiferous,' the gatekeeper of the riff, sits in front of heavy metal’s kingdom which was built by the aliens. His name means emitting light but there is no hope for those that do not bow down to the power of rock.
This seventh spell conjured by these sonic warlocks is no mere album—it is a thunderous grimoire, penned in blood and molten steel, echoing through the catacombs as if summoned by the bellows of some long-slumbering wyrm.
Luckily this album, produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou, can serve as your salvation as it runs like a greatest hits of all High On Fire’s strengths throughout their career with shredding guitars that cut like a battleaxe, devastating beats from Des Kensel on drums, and frantic low-end thunder provided by Jeff Matz as a soundtrack to the war.
Not to say this album offered nothing new for longtime fans of the band. “The Falconist” gives us a bluesy ballad that doesn’t feel out of place or forced and if anything is a nice rest area on this HIGHway to hellfire that opens with a blistering track “The Black Plot” and later annihilates you with “Slave the Hive.”
The band are masters of controlling pace and mood while never taking their foot fully off the gas. Deep cut epic “the Cave” presents a bass solo of sorts with acoustic guitars and borderline crooning which feels like catharsis for Matt and the listener.
More than fifteen years into their career at the time, and ten years after its release, ‘Luminiferous’ arguably cemented High on Fire’s place and reputation amongst metal’s elite. They proved to never think their best isn’t yet to come. High On Fire is not just the protector of the mountain, it is the mountain itself, and you cannot beat it, so it’s best to just join the ranks.
-Ryan Rainbro
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