High On Fire – Cometh The Storm

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · September 16, 2024

High On Fire are heavy metal band from Oakland, California. The band formed in 1998 by front man/guitarist, creator, and songwriter Matt Pike. He is also the cofounder of seminal stoner rock band Sleep. The other band members that compose the current lineup are: Jeff Matz (formerly Zeke) on bass guitar and new drummer Coady Willis (Melvins and Big Business). High On Fire released their ninth studio album entitled Cometh The Storm on April 19th, 2024. The other eight full length records are 2000’s The Art Of Self Defense (originally released on Man’s Ruin Records), 2002’s Surrounded By Thieves, 2005’s Blessed Black Wings, 2007’s Death Is This Communion, 2010’s Snakes For The Divine, 2012’s De Vermis Mysteriis, 2015’s Luminiferous, and 2018’s Electric Messiah. The latest, Cometh The Storm contains 11 songs in 58 minutes.

The first track “Lambsbread” kicks right in with a pounding menace. Blistering and heavy riffing accompanied by thunderous drumming are what’s on the horizon. Matt Pike’s raspy vocals delivered with sheer intensity complement the ferocity of the music. The song breaks into a cool bridge part before the leads sink in. A grooving rhythm to offset the pounding bursts of ear splitting solos. A great song to start the record. “Burning Down” begins with Pike’s signature riffing which is joined by the drums and bass. When the beat settles in, the drums start battering all over but always come back to center. The repetition riffing of High On Fire never seems to get old. The band flavors the rhythm with gonzo percussion and vicious leads. Coady Willis is a worthy replacement for former drummer Des Kensel. He bashes the kit with a pounding intensity like Kensel and allows Pike to impose his will of brutal riffs on the listener, as is the case with “Trigmegostus.”

The title track “Cometh The Storm” fields out a different vibe. It’s more tame in execution but also demolishes when the chorus riff enters. The song is not as bombastic as some of the others and is more of a slow burner in comparison. It still churns out a heavy layer of devastation. “Karanlik Yol” is a nice change of pace. The clean guitar jamming instrumental sounds like a Turkish seance. A nice interlude placed before “Sol’s Golden Curse”, another heavy hitter with frenzied guitar leads. The next song, “The Beating” is a faster and thrashier number with guitar squeals and hardcore pummeling style riffing. It then breaks into “Tough Guy”, a killer chugging monster of a rhythm that lays waste to all in its path. High On Fire has always remained true to their craft. No guitar wankery necessary for Pike and company, the band is a heavy metal head hunter through and through. “Lightening Beard” forges ahead with distorted dominance and has some crazy drumming all over the place. Jeff Matz displays some impressive bass lines in this song also. The tenth track, “Hunting Shadows” conjures more interesting bass playing and guitar melodies alike. The song is somewhat catchy and Pike’s leads are very engaging on this one. The song fades into the closer, “Darker Fleece”. The ten minute finale starts with noisy guitar sounds that kick into a slow and heavy colossal.

High On Fire has created another heavy installment of a record in Cometh The Storm. The grammy winning band did not dial down their sound for anyone. The songs created by Pike, Matz, and Willis are held together with a reliance on a formula for accentuating the almighty riff. It’s been a tried and true testament of nine albums deep without any signs of slowing down. High On Fire fans should be pleased with this outcome as well as new listeners just discovering the band.