Review Summary: High on Fire return with a new sense of clarity and ferocity in their most recent effort.
Consistency is a term which remains synonymous with Oakland based trio High on Fire. The group has presented an impressive display of musical ventures since 2000's 'The Art of Self Defense' - ranging between raw stoner territory, brawny hesher anthems and the occasional flirtation with psychedelia in the 15 years passed. 2012's 'De Vermis Mysteriis' saw the band reach new sonic heights with the aid of Converge alumni and producer master mind Kurt Ballou, who portrayed the band with a refreshingly raw and accurate representation of their live sound. The years following saw frontman Matt Pike embrace sobriety and tour heavily with his seminal 90's outfit Sleep. Working with Ballou once again for 'Luminiferous', High on Fire have created an absolute monster of a record which maintains the high standard of their back catalog.
'The Black Plot' kicks off proceedings in a tastefully fast paced fashion. Just a few seconds in to the track, listeners are left with the impression that the band means business. The riffs are ferocious and focused, accompanied by Pike's familiar 'Lemmy post bong hit after gargling a pint of broken glass' vocal approach. 'Carcosa' follows suit before seamlessly transitioning into a doom influenced riff, harking back to the bands earlier material. Other fast paced tracks such as 'Slave the Hive', featuring an interesting inclusion of gang vocals, and the time signature bending 'Luminiferous' show that the band has no signs of slowing down, as well as their willingness to throw the occasional curve ball into their signature sound.
One thing that needs to be mentioned about this record is just how impressive Pike's vocal work is. With his sobriety Pike appears to have found a new sense for melody, with a refreshing amount of vocal hooks present in the songs. Tracks like 'The Falconer' demonstrate Pike's impressive melodic grasp that is delivered in a manner which appears tasteful and emotive. This new approach gives the songs on the album a greater sense of honesty and purpose than a lot of the bands prior efforts. Accompanied with incredibly tight performances from bassist Jeff Matz and drummer Des Kensel, High on Fire sound tighter than ever.
Though it's not all just grunt and aggression to be found on the record. Album highlight 'The Cave' finds the band experimenting with elements of psychedelia - a trait of the band which hasn't seen much light since 2007's 'Death is This Communion'. A thick bassline opens the track accompanied by eastern and mixolydian guitar modes. Acoustic guitars and phasers then join before Pike warbles "Calm your heart and make it still.. take your time and get your fill". The band transitions these passages with a distortion laden chorus as if it were second nature. The experimentation and natural emotion present from Pike's performance puts the track up there as a highlight of the bands career.
'Luminiferous' shows High on Fire at their tightest, ugliest and prettiest. Producer Kurt Ballou has captured the sound of a band with years of experience that still has plenty left to say. Delivering from a refreshing level of clarity their newly sober frontman has found, High on Fire have created one of the best records of the year.
