Album Review: High On Fire De Vermis Mysteriis

If Conan The Barbarian listened to metal he'd listen to High On Fire. Matt Pike makes music fit for any post-apocalyptic world in which you may find yourself having to swing a dirty big axe just to survive. Accordingly De Vermis Mysteriis is a beast of a record chock full of monolithic riffs and pummeling primal rhythms. If this all sounds a bit wanky I'll translate: it's perfect for banging your head and drinking beer to.

Even by High On Fire's impressive standards De Vermis… is an absolute killer. For one it sounds fantastic. Producer Kurt Ballou (Converge) gives the album a wickedly raw edge, a fact that should please those long-time fans who thought Greg Fidelman's treatment of Snakes For The Divine was too polished, and well, nice. Also impressive is the absolute lack of anything approaching filler. One criticism of past efforts has been that they sometimes outstay their welcome. No such problems here. Even though the album stretches for more than 50 minutes, the ten tracks within are all engaging, bereft of frippery and, best of all, will cave your fucking skull in. If you want an example take Bloody Knuckles, a bludgeoning track that could indeed be the musical accompaniment to the attempts of a frenzied man endlessly beating his fists against a rough brick wall.

Subtle isn't in Matt Pike's lexicon and De Vermis Mysteriis will hit you straight between the eyes without an ounce of pretension. And in a world of piss-poor metalcore clones, pop-drenched 'power metal' and hair metal revival acts, this is a fact we should be eternally grateful for.