What's going on with High on Fire?

BBW is going to be hard to follow, but I cant wait for this. I love these guys.

is preston on the new album/tour?

Preston's long gone (he can't stay in any band for more than 12 months, it would seem). The new bass player is Jeff Matz from Zeke, who was already touring with them at this time last year. I did see them twice on the UK tour with Preston on bass and it was an awesome thing to behold - as my mate pointed out at one point during the set - "he's playing that bass like a piano" (sounds better in a Scouse accent).

UK/Europe tour dates announced; UK dates are with Russian Circles:

September 1 Birmingham, UK The Barfly

September 2 Glasgow, UK Nice N' Sleazy

September 3 Manchester, UK Jabez Clegg

September 4 Bristol, UK The Cooler

September 6 London, UK Underworld

September 7 Paris, France Gibus

September 8 Antwerp, Belgium Trix Club

September 9 Dortmund, Germany FZW

September 10 Berlin, Germany Bastard

September 11 Tilburg, Netherlands 013

And a new track, "Rumours of War," is up:

http://www.myspace.com/HighOnFireSlays

"RumOURS"? Pike's an anglophile now?

New album is good

Very possibly great. Time will tell.

Best yet. (even) More consistent than BBW.

listening to Art of Self Defense tonight, haven't heard it in ages...underpraised album! gonna go see 'em tomorrow, fuck yeah - I haven't seen them since...well...the Art of Self Defense tour

Probably the most retarded (for the listener)/insane live band I've ever seen in terms of sheer musical force....just awesome. The volume they play at should not even be legal.

John OTM. Much as I've loved everything since, they still haven't topped the debut. More groove and variety, plus killer songs. And, yeah, one of the very best live bands I've seen in the last half decade.

Art of Self Defense just fucking crushes. The bass intro to "Fireface", goddamn.

That's the only HoF album I don't own and haven't heard. I need to rectify that.

Big time, you won't be disappointed.

Fireface, hell yeah. And 10,000 Years might be the best thing they've done yet.

Last, Bagdhad, the Celtic Frost cover. We could go on.

Awesome album

Going to see them tonight for the second time. Hopefully I'll remember it this time. Fuck yeah.

Last night we listened again to "Death is this communion" for the first time in a lot of time and it is really really good. A couple of songs are just immense.

Some PR news:

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HIGH ON FIRE SET TO BEGIN WORK ON NEW ALBUM

World-renowned power trio HIGH ON FIRE will begin work on its long-awaited, fifth studio album and follow-up to 2007’s Death is This Communion this August. The esteemed band will commence pre-production in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman (Metallica, Slayer, Johnny Cash) and the goal of capturing “the ultimate High on Fire experience.”

The new HIGH ON FIRE album is slated for an early 2010 release. When asked for comment, Pike states, “We look forward to sharing the dark seas of our new riffs and tragic stories. Soon the next saga of High on Fire's world will be known.”

All reports indicate the new HIGH ON FIRE material to be “heavier, louder and more intricate.” Prior to entering the studio, the Oakland-based band will embark on a string of California live dates set to kick off on August 7 in Eureka, CA. The group is expected to preview some of its new material live for the very first time at these shows.

HIGH ON FIRE tour dates:
(all dates include support from Early Man)

August 7 Eureka, CA Noctumum
August 8 Sacramento, CA Harlows
August 10 Fresno, CA Starline
August 11 Modesto, CA Fat Cat
August 12 Long Beach, CA Alex's Bar
August 15 San Diego, CA Casbah (w/ Earthless)

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That San Diego show = holy shit. But I'll be in Carmel, so alas.

Yeah that San Diego show sounds awesome. Too bad its, y'know, in San Diego. But very very glad to hear they are diving into a new album.

all their albums are awesome

New riffs AND tragic stories. I wuv that bruv.

fuck yes

http://action-pr.com/uploads/art/203/HIGH%20ON%20FIRE_Snakes_for_the_Divine_album_cover.jpg

DAMMIT I was literally about to post that.

holy fucking frank frazetta!

is that the same dude that did molly hatchett covers?

wow

yeah, he put the death dealer on their debut album. and i think something on their second one too?

anyways guessing arik moonhawk did snakes for the divine like the others? dude rules

oh god that is perfect

That is indeed Arik Moonhawk with another awesome D20+10 roll.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

if it were frazetta there'd be more ass and butt dimples btw dudes

did anybody see those frazetta comic books last year

Not on Relapse?

Same guy that did this cover?

http://www.recordsale.org/cdpix/s/shrinebuilder-shrinebuilder.jpg

Same color tones, lots of snakes...

I don't see it in the first couple pages of his gallery but he's done tons of album covers

If you grow up with a name like Arik Moonhawk do you think it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that you will become righteous?

"We don't have any openings for clerks in this company Mr Moonhawk. Have you considered painting dragons flying out of the blazing fires of Hell?"

When is this thing being released????????!!!!!!

February 23rd.

best fucking band

http://c1rcaselect.com/main/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/VICE_RoperCover.jpg

apparently new album gonna influenced by lizard peepz

Pike, like Scott "Wino" Weinrich, is a devotee of David Icke's theories about lizard people secretly ruling the earth. There was a song about it on Death Is This Communion and one of the Hidden Hand albums recommended an Icke book in the liner notes.

what? stoners...into wacky conspiracy theories?

its pretty sad when icke is taken seriously and not dismissed as the ex snooker commentator who is clearly insane and made an arse of himself on live tv 20 years ago.

damn americans! ;)

Coady kills it on this one for sure.

these guys are giving me life today. still listen to cometh the storm a lot. "burning down" and "tough guy" still turn me into a frickin ape.

They are so rad.

fall tickets acquired. i never go to shows so this is an event lol.

Excited for you. My first two HoF shows were mindblowing

awesome dude, thanks!

i listened to vermis de mysterium this morning after taking a long break from them and it sounded soooo good. their particular marriage of minimalism with songwriting has so much power.

all right getting ready to stay up past my bedtime for high on fire tomorrow night! anyone catch them this go around?

openers sound lame (charger, some generic hard rock shit with the singer from operation ivy?? bastardane, annoying kid stuff afaict), so pulling up later.

i'm going with my nephew and he said hof are a "good vibes kinda band" and i was like oh.

they were great. was happy to hear "fertile green" and "snakes for the divine" was a highlight. did you guys know that matt pike takes his shirt off? cool crowd too. i picked up a tee and "de vermiis".

nice. i saw them touring after blessed black wings came out, super fun and punishingly loud show.

yeah they were loud haha. but pretty well-balanced. pike's roar got lost every once in a while. i thought about going up front for a minute but i didn't have earplugs so we rocked out in the back. their songs are simple and powerful and they've really dialed in a certain heft and warmth to everything. i do wonder how much of it i would be able to "hear" if i didn't already know all the songs. i think that pike is a beautiful guitar player and soloist. coady has such a great style. and jeff was great. i saw a beardy dude dancing down the street on his own after the show. about sums it up for me.