High On Fire Confirm New Album Is Close To Finishing

Basically what we're doing is we now kind of have two rehearsal studios in two different cities,” High On Fire drummer Des Kensel begins. “I currently live in New Orleans and Matt [Pike] and Jeff [Matz] still live in Oakland so now what we're doing is taking turns going back and forth… It's working out really good; the cities aren't close to one another so when I'm there in California we really take advantage of our time and when Matt and Jeff come out here it's the same thing. So we're hoping to have the material done by around November, and then go into the studio and have something out early next year.”

Kensel sounds excited to talk about the new and seventh record. And with good reason; the band's 2012 record, De Vermis Mysteriis, was their best yet – a hulking slab of epic stoner doom and kick-arse power trio rock'n'roll – but not everything went to plan.

“Unfortunately a month or two after the record was released we had this big tour in the States lined up but we decided that it was more important for Matt to check himself into rehab for drinking and get himself healthy… So that put us back as far as touring the last record, which then put us back in terms of when we could really focus on writing this next one. But now we're there, we're healthy and looking to challenge ourselves. Just build off of the last record.”

While High On Fire are gearing up for a new album and wrapping up the De Vermis Mysteriis touring cycle, frontman Matt Pike is also releasing new material with seminal pre-High On Fire trio, Sleep. So it has to be asked: how has High On Fire juggled having a frontman spending time with the increasingly active Sleep?

“It's been fine to manage with Matt playing in both bands. Sleep is actively doing shows, but it's not like they're doing huge tours. Everyone in Sleep has their other bands as well as Sleep, so nobody's pushing for it to be a full-time thing. Al has Om, Jason has Neurosis and Sleep hasn't gotten in the way of High On Fire. Matt's never been like, 'Hey guys, I'm basically busy with Sleep for the next six months.' It's more like, 'Hey, we've got five shows coming up,' which is fine, because as long as we get enough notice, it's nice to get a break every now and again.”

Kensel reckons the next year is going to be a busy time for both High On Fire and Sleep. But he isn't fazed; he knows that both bands will be able to deliver killer stuff. Which means it's a good time to be alive for stoner metal fans.