What's going on with High on Fire?

awesome.

(apologies for foolishly posting directly after someone else with nearly exactly the same name)

---

HIGH ON FIRE JOINED BY EX-MELVINS BASSIST; ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR

Relapse Records recording artists HIGH ON FIRE will be joined by
bassist Joe Preston (THRONES / ex-MELVINS) for their forthcoming U.S.
tour. Preston replaces long time HIGH ON FIRE bassist George Rice,
joining the power trio alongside guitarist / vocalist Matt Pike (ex-SLEEP)
and drummer Des Kensel.

Preston will make his live debut with HIGH ON FIRE when the band kicks
off a two week U.S. tour beginning August 4th in San Diego, CA. The band
will round out the 14 city trek on August 18th in Chicago, IL. Support on
the tour will come from a host of up-and-coming acts including TOTIMOSHI,
BONGZILLA and HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE.

At the conclusion of the tour, HIGH ON FIRE will enter Electrical
Audio Studios with engineer Steve Albini (NEUROSIS, JON SPENCER BLUES
EXPLOSION, NIRVANA) to record the follow up to 2002's heralded
"Surrounded by Thieves". The forthcoming HIGH ON FIRE album, tentatively
titled, "Blessed Black Wings" is slated for a February, 2005 release date
via Relapse.

Updated HIGH ON FIRE news and tour information
will be made available via the Relapse Records website: www.RELAPSE.com
and the HIGH ON FIRE website: www.HIGHONFIRE.net.

Best news i've heard all week

"See 'em live" is my recommendation. (Or buy Dopethrone!)

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!!

(anyone think this'll last longer than one tour/album?)

HIGH ON FIRE ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR DATES

Relapse Records recording artists HIGH ON FIRE have announced Fall,
2004 U.S. tour dates. The critically acclaimed power trio will display
their high volume live prowess when they kick off six weeks worth of
performances beginning November 18th in Salt Lake City, UT. The band
will remain on the road until the end of 2004, concluding the jaunt with
a New Year's Eve show at Philadelphia's Trocadero Theater.

HIGH ON FIRE (drummer Des Kensel, guitarist / vocalist Matt Pike and
new bassist Joe Preston [ex-MELVINS]) who just completed work on their
highly anticipated new album, "Blessed Black Wings" with engineer Steve
Albini (NIRVANA, NEUROSIS, JESUS LIZARD), will hit the road for a number
of headlining dates before joining CLUTCH and FU MANCHU for a three week
span. Immediately following, HIGH ON FIRE will headline two weeks worth
of dates to round out the year. HIGH ON FIRE's "Blessed Black Wings" is
expected to see a February 1st, 2005 release date via Relapse. An
advance look at the album's artwork can be viewed at this location:
http://relapse.com/preview/BlessedRGB.jpg

It's an amazing record. Better than Surrounded By Thieves for one simple reason: Albini. He plays to their strengths, because the drums and guitar are huge, and Pike's purely functional vocals are downplayed somewhat (though they don't disappear entirely, or anything close to it). The songs are uniformly great, with killin' guitar solos (and an album-closing instrumental!). Actually, I'm overly dismissive of Pike's vocals - he sounds pretty good, still very Lemmy-esque but with more blood in his throat. Most of the tracks here almost sound like mid-90s Motörhead (think the song "Sacrifice," but noisier, and you've pretty much got it). There are some nice slowed-down bits at the beginning and end of songs, but for the most part it's headlong bash bash bash all the way through. And the drums are fucking enormous.

They played four new songs at the show I saw, but they also played "Baghdad." Great set. Ferociously loud.

I gotta say I don't really hear what Preston adds to the band. Part of that is knowing that the guitar and the drums are the really crucial sounds in HOF, and part of it is knowing that the Melvins are wildly, ludicrously overrated, but really, Preston is "just the bassist" here, adding name value for a few dozen and nothing as far as anybody else should be concerned.

Some PR waffle:

HIGH ON FIRE has announced the details for their first North American headlining tour in support of their highly-anticipated new album Death Is This Communion. Death Is This Communion will see its North American release on September 18.

The “Death Is This Communion North American Tour” kicks off on September 20 in San Diego, CA and will travel across North America for five weeks. Joining HIGH ON FIRE for the entirety of the tour are special guests MONO, PANTHERS, and COLISEUM. The tour is being sponsored in part by Decibel Magazine, Jaxprints, and Fixion Media. A complete listing of tour cities and venues can be found below.

Advance online ticket pre-sales for this tour will become available Friday, June 15 through DucatKing.com, with tickets opening up through all other standard outlets on Friday, June 22. Ducat King is a fan-friendly concert ticketing company dedicated to offering lower service charges and eliminating handling fees to the ticket buyer.

HIGH ON FIRE recently completed recording Death Is This Communion in Seattle, WA with producer Jack Endino.

Best news I've heard all week! Thanks Ned.

They're in my part of the world about a fortnight before this so WE get first wind of the new shit. Do this kids still say "w00t"?

Should be good. Assuming this will be on Relapse?

Yep

So what are the dates?

September 20 San Diego, CA Casbah

September 21 Los Angeles, CA El Ray

September 22 Tempe, AZ Clubhouse

September 23 Albuquerque, NM Launch Pad

September 25 San Antonio, TX White Rabbit

September 26 Dallas, TX Granada Theater

September 27 Austin, TX Emo’s

September 28 Houston, TX Meridian Red Room

September 29 New Orleans, LA One Eyed Jacks

October 1 Knoxville, TN Blue Cats

October 2 Athens, GA 40 Watt Club

October 3 Asheville, NC Orange Peel

October 4 Wilmington, NC Soapbox

October 5 Richmond, VA Toad’s Place

October 6 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live

October 7 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts

October 8 New York, NY Webster Hall

October 11 Cambridge, MA Middle East

October 12 Providence, RI Living Room

October 13 Montreal, QC Les Saints

October 14 Toronto, ON Opera House

October 16 Buffalo, NY Showplace Theater

October 17 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop

October 18 Detroit, MI Magic Stick

October 19 Chicago, IL Double Door

October 20 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon

October 21 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue

October 24 Vancouver, BC Richards on Richards

October 25 Seattle, WA Crocodile Café

October 26 Portland, OR Mt. Tabor

October 28 San Francisco, CA Independent

October 29 San Francisco, CA Independent

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:

---

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)

--

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! ;)

i wouldn't say "devotee." pike told me he's skeptical on the existence of liz peepz, but finds the subject fascinating and the perfect topic for metal songs

hes definitely an old skool metalhead

yeah I mean metal ppl being into shit like that doesn't make them devotees usually in my experience in means they like to think about what if the world was run by lizard ppl. getting down to the truth of what icke means or who he is = who fucking cares, the point is shapeshifting lizard people who rule the world

Quite a few posters over on DFFD have heard the album and they all say the production is AWFUL. They say the songs are great but the production has ruined it. It's not just one or two posters either.

Doesn't bode well. :(

Those people are wrong. You know how you can tell they're wrong? They're posting at DFFD.

Whatever DFFD is, otm

If you like the production on the last Slayer CD, you'll like this one. I think it's a phenomenal album. Who cares what the genre police think?

i think the clean production and straight forward riffs kind of ruin the point of high on fire, tbh

Albini's production on Blessed Black Wings nailed this band's sound better than anyone else, but I still think the new one's a cool change of pace. Song-wise I think it's a step up from the last one, plus Pike's vocals have never sounded better. The production would have to be really awful to ruin tunes that are this good.

i agreee best album is still the first. didn't know Albini was behind it...

He wasn't. Albini did Blessed Black Wings. Billy Anderson did the first two.

the only song i've heard from the new one sounds like HoF to me. vocal production's a little bit crap, maybe, but not ruinous.

oh i thought blessed black wings was the first. my bad.

tangentially, if such digression can be tolerated, whats going on with that metal band that used to use a cello in place of lead guitar Noxagt?

Well the other part of your statement was still true. The first one is the best one.

As for Noxagt, they ditched the viola years ago...

I'll be booking their next US tour (whenever that is) so I'll try to keep you posted.

Title track up for streaming:

http://www.spin.com/articles/exclusive-new-song-high-fire

daammmmmnnnnnn those vocals are tough!

The whole album is out in the wild. I have mixed feelings; the songs are good, the band is burning, but while Pike's vocals are as fierce and powerful as he's ever been, the mix puts them so far forward that I really dislike it. It's like the "Mahna Mahna" guy on the Muppet Show, popping up in the front of the shot and overpowering the background. That works for comedic effect but I don't think they want me to laugh. Overall it's a shame, because when the music stands alone it might be my favorite work by the band.

I'm sure I'll warm to it if I see them live, but this mix did not leave a good first impression.

I don't like the mix, the vocals are way too high in it. The lead guitar is really far down in some songs too that its barely audible. Horrid production, I hope some unmastered versions leak at some point as the songs are awesome as ever.

I totally disagree. I think this is their strongest album since Blessed Black Wings.

Strongest set of songs perhaps, but production is dire

See, I think the clean production helps them a lot - it really feels like three dudes cranking it out in the room, and the bass in particular is very present. I like this disc a lot - I think they've been biker-sludge-metal for long enough; it's time to get epic. This is their power move.

If it's their power mood they shouldn't mute the guitar - he's still a better player than vocalist. Tried another run through and just really, really detest the mix.

Kalas gave me the impression Pike is at least as interested in vocalizing as he is in sitting all day playing that sick, repulsive electric twanger.

Man this album is fucking classic. Bastard Samurai!!!!!

Strongest set of songs perhaps, but production is dire

― Pfunkboy (Herman G. Neuname), Thursday, February 18, 2010 12:35 PM (1 month ago) Bookmark

I'm not getting this. I think it sounds really good. Im not a pro on production or anything, but it sounds fine to me.

Sounds great to me too. Don't mind having the vocals higher in the mix.

Can't wait to see/hear the new songs on tour. They played three at SXSW - the title track, "How Dark We Pray" and "Bastard Samurai" - and they all kicked ass.

Yep, the SXSW mini-set at Waterloo was fantastic (sound was a bit "off," though).

Man, this is the greatest band. I love how the drums just pummel in every song. Should we do a High on Fire album poll?

High on Fire should cover the Kings of Leon tune "Sex on Fire" and call it "High Sex on Fire."

I've not heard that song. I would guess it would turn out awesome.

you cant polish a turd

but can you make it heavier

love the new album, don't get the complaints about the production. not the best sound they're ever had, the i kinda like the cleaner mix. kinda bummed that the bonus track(s) weren't included on the vinyl, but c'est la guerre.

they played a very small club here last week. capacity no more than 250. should have gone but it was a tuesday and i was broke as fuck. would much rather see them that way than on metallica's stage.

lol i now find this album completely unlistenable.

still angry about how much (i thought) they sucked live when i saw them here

:'(

where is the love

i love the album its just tainted by my feelings toward matt pike mugging for me doing the foot on monitor pose for an hour or so

the production sounded passable in my car; on headphones it's awful.

also re: live, i feel like pike did the same thing when i saw them but t was too loud and i was too wasted to care.

matt pike mugging for me doing the foot on monitor pose for an hour or so

Haha I like how the wording of this makes it sound like he gave you a private dance or something

man HoF is great live, wtf, guitarists w/foot on monitor is somehow a bad thing at a metal show?

"don't get the complaints about the production"

Either do I. Nobody has adequately explained to me why my ears seem to be lying to me. Sounds great to me.

RISE UP
RISE UP TONNNNNNNNNNNNNIIIGGHHTT

i was talking to a record-selling metal guy today, and he was wondering why he's stuck with a giant pile of snakes for the divine vinyl. is it a bad record? no... so is it something to do with the label or the fanbase or the reviews or the cover art or what? i dunno (though the cover art is, yeah, kinda horrid). maybe dude just overbought, and maybe copies are available elsewhere cheaper or something.

still, i can't shake the feeling that snakes didn't and, several months in, still doesn't get the respect it deserves. listening now, trading tracks with surrounded by thieves snd blessed black wings, and it stacks up just fine. it may not be the best thing they've ever done, but there's no obvious drop in overall quality. i like hearing pike's bellowing loud and clear on top of the guitars, and LOVE hearing the music recorded so clean, sharp and strong. whole thing sounds epic, unstoppable, honed to killing keen, like a metal record should. spacious production especially suits des kensel's drumming - nice to actually hear every hit whirling by through the storm.

i guess i'd agree that it lacks a certain heft and psychedelic intensity relative to, say, blessed black wings. guitar tone is nowhere near so lovingly buffed, and the vibe has more in common with NWOBHM/thrash's speed rictus than with doom's stoner groove. motorhead comparisons have never been more apt. this isn't a generally a problem, but doesn't work quite so well during the more restrained and spacey passages (e.g., frost hammer's midsection). in the past, at their best, HOF conjured this overwhelming sonic density through which an incredibly vicious attack seemed impossibly to coalesce, a fog of blows. here, things are more compartmentalized and identifiable, and yeah, i guess that makes it a bit less awe-inspiring overall. you hear this record rather than inhabit it, a frightened animal in the shadow of something incomprehensibly massive and malevolent. i'm okay with the shift in focus though, though, cuz immediacy and clarity provide their own rewards. pike's solos, for one, have never sounded better, and snakes' relative thinness gives its brutality a desperate edge. it's not out to crush you so much as cut you to ribbons.

plus check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glzBnELcrks

that is a good post.

i think i actually peed myself the first time i heard frost hammer

rockism 101

peeing yourself?

i think i just did

luckily i have lackeys to attend to the waste

It's a great record, which means they've done nothing but great records, and that makes it hard to figure out what to say about them. The best I can come up with is

- wow, for someone who's never done much string tapping, Pike kicks it off with one of the best string tapping riffs ever
- first album since Surround by Thieves where the second half is stronger
- five great albums means their one of the best bands ever

i never wanted to go back to this record

I haven't gone back to it, but I am not a person who tends to blame that on the record. Life is busier & less busy & the sheer volume of music I encounter means that me going back to a record & really getting into is gonna be 1/2 a function of how good the record is and 1/2 a function of sheer chance.

i agree with all of that--the recording of this one just left me so cold

Still dont understand what is wrong with the recording of this, it sounds great to me. Bendy's post is dead on.

the vibe has more in common with NWOBHM/thrash's speed rictus than with doom's stoner groove

This is the main thing I've picked up on in my three or so listens to the album. I wish it has more groove and less top-end thrash sound to the recording. The songs are as great as always, but the production's not quite as good.

I wish it had*

think i mightve made it through all the way once, but ive mostly listened to the first couple tracks

production doesnt read death magnetic levels of sick mouthy-baiting awfulness, but its still pretty bad d00dz

could probably build a really sturdy wall out of its waveform

markers with respect you have no idea what you're talking about w/r/t this production, and will need to actually describe technically what you're talking about to prove otherwise - for example, as absolutely everyone knows, the issue with Death Magnetic isn't production, it's mastering

sorry that's way snottier than I meant it to be, am having a shitty day, my bad - I just really don't think "production" is what people mean when they're talking about that wall-of-waveform thing - that's a decision you make at the mastering session

"markers with respect you have no idea what you're talking about w/r/t this production"

I definitely admit that I have no idea what I am talking about (I cant play music, know nothing about recording, some would say i have terrible taste when listening to it, etc.). But I see no problem with the recording/mastering/whatever with Snakes.

i think i explained my problems with it in detail in another thread which maybe i'll go look for.

vocal mix isn't the problem with this (i just got to it today btw)--it's that there's no top end unless a guitar lead is happening and the drums have been COMPLETELY NEUTERED. like the opening to the 7th track should be majestic and awesome but really kinda isn't cause the snare and cymbals are so fuckin weak.

too bad, there's a lot to like: i actually really dig pike playing up the vocal performance, he seems to be having a lot of fun with it. and there's more bass on here than any other hof record. songwriting seems really sharp on once pass; more so than death is this communion which meandered a lot. but i think this is always going to sound a little caged to me.

― call all destroyer, Friday, February 26, 2010 6:18 PM (5 months ago) Bookmark

I don't know, I really kinda loved Death Is This Communion - I stan hardest for Blessed Black Wings & Surrounded Buy Thieves, they're like two different vintages of the same distilled spirit, so cool. But I really warmed up to Death Is This Communion after seeing it live. It's like the most emotional HoF record, to me.

I am enjoying Surrounded Buy Thieves as a solution to a problem. Surrounded? Buy Thieves!

don't know, I really kinda loved Death Is This Communion - I stan hardest for Blessed Black Wings & Surrounded Buy Thieves, they're like two different vintages of the same distilled spirit, so cool. But I really warmed up to Death Is This Communion after seeing it live. It's like the most emotional HoF record, to me.

― gross rainbow of haerosmith (underrated aerosmith albums I have loved), Wednesday, August 18, 2010 12:58 PM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I need to revisit this one, havent spun it in a long time. If I remember, its got the most acoustic touches of any HOF album, definitely the "most mellow" though that's a relative term.

aero: no prob. and yeah, you're right -- the waveform bricking happens in mastering

- first album since Surround by Thieves where the second half is stronger

maybe that's a flaw? how dark we pray and fire spitter are magnificent, but i wonder how many people tune out before getting there.

as absolutely everyone knows, the issue with Death Magnetic isn't production, it's mastering

1. LOL YOU LISTENED TO DEATH MAGNETIC

2. as absolutely everyone knows, the issue with Death Magnetic isn't production, it's mastering songwriting (or lack thereof)

3. LOL YOU LISTENED TO DEATH MAGNETIC

yea I attributed the praise of Death Magnetic to how much better it was than the pieces of rhino doodoo the three albums that preceded it were, leading to overrating the work*. It's certainly not bad, there's moments that I enjoy, and some good riffs, but ultimately I think if anybody else released that album in 2008 the populace would have been so what.

(*I realize many people authentically like/love the album so back off, just making a general statement.)

also I love the production on the new High on Fire. the guitars are sludgey, gritty, yet clear and cut through, so that you can follow. I like the drum mix, and yea the vocals are up a little high but they add nicely.

great album.

Drums sound great on this. Best sounding one is BBW. The first two sound like they were recorded in caves, and "Death" is pretty polished and shiny. BBW is just old school 70s style analog goodness.

ilxor, yr loss d00d, not mine

sample lyrics:

"splatter some color on this gray"
"love is a four-letter word"

O___O

needs more _______________________

.________________________________________________________________________.

love those lines so much. late-career metallica is such a hilariously glorious mess

BLACKENED IS THE END
WINTER IT WILL SEND
THROWING ALL YOU SEE
INTO OBSCURITY

love is a four-letter word

"glorious" is not something id use for it, and this is coming from someone who likes Load.

loads dope

anyway, feel free to get back to high on fire. i should start a markers metallica challops thread someday

again?

Load contains some of the most ear-excruciating crap. I'll maybe put in a good word for "Until It Sleeps" and "2x4" if I'm feeling nice but dear God, what the hell is Poor Twisted Me? Wasting My Hate? Outlaw Torn? vomit

xpost

again? dont think ive started one before

Please move the nu-metallica discussion out of here.

great point bill

'Snakes For The Divine' is my first and only HoF album, and I love it. I keep meaning to get more of their stuff, but I simply never see any of their other LPs (I want vinyl) on my travels. I must look into ordering a couple. I take it from this and other threads that it's basically all good.

some hof vinyl just got reissued!

Yes, it is. It's all really good.

xpost

It seems quite tough to find their vinyl, even online (going by my - ahem - 3 minutes of searching). I'll have to do a bit more digging

eh? it's all on sale at http://shop.relapse.com/

http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=39922
http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=20362
http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=26136

or

http://www.allthatisheavy.com/search.asp?SearchTerm=high+on+fire

Cheers v much. I was just checking my usual online shops, which tend not to sell too much metal.

Order on the way...

^^ and I'd rather order within Europe. Cheers for the tips though - might fall back on them if other options fail.

BBW sounds great on vinyl. relapse did a nice job with these.

Oh where are you? i assumed you were in the us.
best place in europe is http://www.musicfearsatan.com/en/nouveautes.html

http://www.musicfearsatan.com/en/recherche/req;HIGH%20ON%20FIRE;.html

Hey, no worries -- thanks for the links! I've just ordered BBW.

yeah, relapse did a great job with these reissues. a boon to surrounded and DITC, the original versions of which tried to pack too much time into their grooves. sound amazing with 2 LP's worth of breathing room.

digging this snakes for the devine

"Fire Flood & Plague" might be the definitive HoF song. It's what they do that no one else can do, sliding between heavy and fast like they're the same thing, while keeping the whole song, the whole story, right in the cross-hairs.

still think that the definitive HoF song = like "10,000 years" or maybe "thraft of canaan", but shit yeah, that's a jam.

What's going on with High on Fire?

They're invariably smoking a heroic amount of dope.

inspired by this thread to revisit this album this morning. it's better than I'd thought! really great! some of the punk beats on for example "ghost neck" are part of an if-not-general-surely-present mood among some metal bands to re-engage with some of their hardcore ancestry, which I dig when it feels natural, as here. somebody mentioned the psychedelia of i.e. "blessed black wings" and that's hof at their best for me: when you feel like there's a degree of wastedness sufficient to reach transcendence. snakes kicks a lot more ass than I'd thought, but am I looking for d-beat tributes while high? generally no. I like this better than the debut, but this & the debut are 2nd-tier HoF; blessed black wings & death is this communion & surrounded by thieves are all top top notch. still, I mean, 2nd-tier hof is still as good as most bands' best.

did not make it through their whole set last night, but did catch blessed black wings and one of the songs i liked from death is this communion. they're still pretty vicious and good live for sure, but their records have felt increasingly rote to me.

yeah I would give a 2nd listen to the back half of snakes for the divine - it's v. solid imo

nice coming around, aero. listened to a good chunk of snakes last night, with a few comparison tracks from the early albums, and dig it more every time i play it, especially at neighbor-hating volume. love the clarity and toughness of the sound, classic without being directly reminiscent of anyone but themselves, and there's still enough miasmic goo in the production for the vibes to go all woozy when pike stretches out. quibble:

snakes kicks a lot more ass than I'd thought, but am I looking for d-beat tributes while high? generally no.

yeah, but throw in a healthy pinch of "and drunk" and it starts to make a lot more sense

and xpost yeah, especially those last two tracks holy shit

i have found that it generally improves everything to imagine that i am pleasing, or at least placating, the lizard people when i play the new album.

Okay, Pike kept baiting the Chapel Hill crowd to get into more, threatening "this is like your encore already...", But closing with "Snakes" shows that he still knows he's at the top of his game. Next time, I'd like to see them closer to a weekend. Wish they played another hour.

umm is this a joke???

also, i think they're playing south by southwest.

― Ian Johnson (orion), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 06:47 (6 years ago)
yeah, they're playing SxSW, and they're playing in Austin the day before it starts with Dysrythmia & Zeke.

awesome.

(apologies for foolishly posting directly after someone else with nearly exactly the same name)

― ian johno (ian johno), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 12:17 (6 years ago)

face of oblivion

it's more like they just happen to have similar names, let's not get carried away

World renowned hard rock band HIGH ON FIRE will release its new studio album De Vermis Mysteriis on April 3 via eOne Music. Recorded in Salem, Massachusetts' GodCity Studios with producer and Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou, the 10 song effort -- touted as "direct, eye-opening and powerfully supernatural" -- is the band's sixth studio recording and the follow up to 2010's Snakes for the Divine which debuted at #62 on the Billboard Top 200 and has been called "wonderful" by The New York Times and "an exhilarating rush" by The Chicago Tribune.

De Vermis Mysteriis (or "Mysteries of the Worm") takes its title from a fictional grimoire created by Psycho author Robert Bloch and incorporated by H. P. Lovecraft into the lore of the Cthulhu Mythos (Lovecraft mentioned De Vermis Mysteriis as one of the books that "repeat the most hellish secrets learnt by early man"). The album carries a deeply mystical undercurrent, incorporating fantastical themes and lyrics detailing, among other things, time travel, a serum called liao that is made out of a black lotus and "a Jesus twin who can see the past through his ancestors' eyes."

Sounds like they may be high on something else.

severely supernatural

I love HOF, but i cant understand the words when he sings for shit, so Im not sure I care what the theme is. He could be singing the Salem Mass phonebook for all i care.

yeah, tho i do like it when a distinct phrase pops:

i am the one who by others is called fire face

Somebody has to have named an album De Vermis Mysteriis before this right?

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZDeaoMl1L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

i don't fucking know...i thought there was some huge well-known metal album by that name.

well, mayhem's got de mysteriis dom sathanas

thinking of this one?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tfvcUyu0VpM/S-82GIzrcFI/AAAAAAAABNU/wbE6gsfOL3A/s400/De+Mysteriis+Dom+Sathanas.jpg

lol, xpost

that's what I was thinking of, but i'm still surprised and frankly a bit disappointed that De Vermis Mysteriis is not well-worn territory.

Adding to its ever-growing catalog of sonic enormity, Southern Lord Recordings has announce the reissue of "The Art Of Self Defense", the classic first recording from Oakland power trio HIGH ON FIRE. Set for release on July 31, the landmark long player has been completely remastered and enhanced by Brad Boatright (SLEEP, NOOTHGRUSH, OFF!) and includes the addition of the band's first-ever demo, two bonus seven-inch tracks as well as a 48-page booklet.

"The Art of Self Defense" reissue track listing:

01. Baghdad
02. 10,000 Years
03. Blood From Zion
04. Last
05. Fireface
06. Master of Fists

Bonus 7" Tracks (2001)

07. Steel Shoe
08. The Usurper (CELTIC FROST cover)

Self-Titled Demo (1999)

09. Blood From Zion
10. 10,000 Years
11. Master of Fists

"The Art Of Self Defense" was initially released in 2000 by Man's Ruin Records. Featuring the collective energies of guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike, drummer Des Kensel, and bassist George Rice with producer Billy Anderson, the record billows at the seams with Pike's instantly recognizable guitar tone, first unleashed during his days with stoner metal behemoths SLEEP. An audio hail storm of piledriving riffs, booming rhythms and Pike's gruff vocal tirades, "The Art Of Self Defense" remains a staple in HIGH ON FIRE's renowned catalog of audio greatness.

the best album, i have it on cd and vinyl but i know i'll buy this again for those demos.

i wonder if these demos are from the 12th records ep before the 1st album. i have that cd

still my favorite HOF

Yeah this is def a must-get

figured this revive would be due to this

http://www.sfbg.com/noise/2012/06/07/high-fire-drops-escapes-rockstar-energy-drink-mayhem-festival-tour

Covered in the Rolling Metal & vs. Sleep threads iirc?

Anyways, I can't even choose between the first three albums. I was listening to Surrounded by Thieves on Spotify a few weeks ago: man, that shit pummels.

am I looking for d-beat tributes

yes yes yes to offer up to teh snake godz

HIGH ON FIRE to Release New Album, Luminiferous, June 23

http://action-pr.com/featured/high-on-fire-to-release-new-album-luminiferous-june-23/

http://action-pr.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/High-On-Fire_Luminiferous_Cover-565x565.jpg

New album cover much better than last album cover. Also, the press release doesn't say anything about it being a concept album. This gives me hope.

hahaha uh

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/premieres/hear-high-on-fire-take-on-aliens-with-new-face-melter-the-black-plot-20150512

hmmm...

leaving aside matt's cosmic ruminations, that track is a fucking monster. dez might be my favorite music person of now.

lol i love the graph of the levels

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Matt Pike looks 10 years younger in that promo pic. Cleaning up and quitting drinking has really paid off for him. Glad to see it.

no wonder he's so enthusiastic about human women

Wow. Fucking great! And they're touring with Pallbearer too!

http://www.npr.org/2015/06/07/412028493/first-listen-high-on-fire-luminiferous

Sounds good. Easy stuff to like. But I haven't listened to them much so if it's horribly rote I'm not hearing it.

i dunno. i'm not sure they have any album that really shows them at the best of everything they do.

Probably true. Blessed Black Wings is my go-to, but I also love the slicker version of them that shows up on Snakes for the Divine, and the slower material on The Art of Self Defense, too. Haven't listened to the new album yet.

Haven't out anything between Death is This Communion and the new one... They seem to have got a lot more pleasingly melodic in the interim. The Falconist is catchy as shit! I can almost imagine people doing acoustic covers of that one.

World renowned hard rock band HIGH ON FIRE

you would think listeners on other planets would have taken notice of HOF if anyone

caught them at Psycho Las Vegas a few months ago. First disappointing HoF set I've ever taken in :(. Wasn't really their fault - they were in a 10,000 seat arena and their sound actually was small and muddy in it.

And about the time I wondered "is it just me", Matt started getting agitated and chatting with people off stage between songs, and occasionally making passive aggressive comments about the sound. By the time they got it right, the set was over. Tom G Warrior also made similar complaints in the same facility during the Triumph of Death set. shame, because HoF's new material is tailor-made for their live shows.

going to catch them in a much more intimate venue on Tuesday, so I have a feeling things will be "back to normal". I really like the new album, kinda dials up the Motorhead-y elements a bit more. "Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil" is just a massive song and should be a crowd-crusher live (which it wasn't in PLV).

this is one of the only bands in recent memory that has fucked my hearing up for 2+ days after the show.

Did they have a new drummer for that show? I heard Des left.

Think so

Chris Maggio now. Dunno em

Chris was in Coliseum for a while, then Trap Them, and is now in Jacob from Converge's project Wear Your Wounds.

oh cool I know Trap Them

I'm weirded out by the fact Matt wore a shirt through their entire Austin show the other night

!

like there are fewer things certain in life than death, taxes, and shirtless Pike!

I remember the second time I saw them in 2014 (probably my 5th favorite show, like, ever), he was headed back inside and I semi-drunkenly clapped him on his bare back to say "awesome show", and he was mega cool, turned around to shake my hand and say thanks. but this is Florida in the summer in a packed venue with drunk people and poor AC. so after said back-clapping, a thick layer of sweat-slime wound up on my hands. I fused with Pike, it was cool.

Sharing a mycelium w/Matt Pike would be awesome

Yea it might help my shitty guitar playing

Let us know how they do tonight! I was thinking of trying to catch them next week.

Ill be amazed if it's not amazing.

Will report back. Can't wait to hear their new material again

AMAZING

Yeah you can't miss this.

Wow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_u7kfTw8W4

A) Holy shit Matt Pike looks great
B) These guys have unsurprisingly good taste

Was not expecting to see Pike pull out a copy of Live-Evil. Awesome.

i want to see a clip of him getting his hearing checked.

lol just imagining 30 minutes of them playing the test tones for him and him turning around and saying "are you going to start the test soon?"

HoF shows are some of the loudest I've ever been to. I remember trying to train a class the day after one in 2015 and I was pretending to hear 33% of the words my class was saying.

I saw them play for the first time in 1999 at some weird show. I want to say they mostly cleared the room, except for one lunatic standing ten feet in front of the stage, grinning like a madman.

was that one person...you?

def woulda been me had I known who they were back then.

saw them in '02, certainly top 5 in the loudest bands i've ever seen.

Psycho Las Vegas was about the only time I ever saw a venue swallow them up, and that's cos they had the misfortune of being stuck in a 10,000 seat convention center and the guy running sound was clueless the whole weekend. had they put them in the HoB, it woulda been a mass of sound bouncing every which way.

I’m just listening to these guys for the first time, Electric Messiah, and wow I’m into it. I’ve made a habit out of avoiding a lot of metal and hard rock because I just hear straight dude language and I’m averse to that. But realize it’s a little surfacey. Anyway this really rips ass and is suitably freaky. Very compellingly crafted.

Awesome! Def make sure you work your way back to the early albums, those are so good too. Surrounded by Thieves, Blessed Black Wings or De Vermis Mysteriss would be my next recommendations.

Thanks!

electric messiah has sort of taken over my listening lately, it's extremely effective workout music. i'm really in love with how everything sounds in the mix.

checking some more out in backwards order. luminiferous is cool but definitely lower-key / not as accomplished as em

Bands ruuuuuuules. Currently without a drummer, though, iirc.

was electric messiah a big deal when it came out? it has a lower discogs rating than some of their other releases for some reason maybe because it's a bit more maximalist / polished / commercial. 'drowning dog' is like an emotional song maaann

for real though it makes me cry sometimes lol

I need to revisit EM. I remember it being...fine, but I'd liked Luminiferous better. If I had to rank their albums right now today, it'd probably go

Blessed Black Wings
Snakes For The Divine
The Art Of Self Defense
Luminiferous
Surrounded By Thieves
Death Is This Communion
Electric Messiah
De Vermis Mysteriis
(The two Spitting Fire Live albums are really good, but splitting them up is a cheat; it should have just been a 2CD set.)

i think they've been kind of on a holding pattern/decline for the past couple (plus live ones). mystery worms was the last one where it seemed like they were really on their thing

was electric messiah a big deal when it came out?

i dunno, i thought the consensus was that it was pretty dang good but maybe i was just projecting my opinion out into the world in general. i felt like it was kind of a return to the Blessed Black Wings/Art of Self Defense era, albeit not as catchy.

lowest rated on Metal Archives, 3rd lowest rated (by 0.01) on RYM for what little that's worth

ok cool i'll keep going in backwards order then

De Vermis Mysteriis is pretty sick, love "MAdness of an Architect".

so i finally went back to "blessed black wings". i remember seeing the buzz back in the day but it wasn't my thing. it's a really great album but it sounds like a different band, probably different vocalists? (too lazy to check rn), hazier and more true cult but great songs and melodic sensibility. i still feel like electric messiah is the culmination of something they've been working towards over the last few albums. it's almost cartoonish compared to what they used to be because the production is tricked out to the max to make the songs sound insanely balls-to-the-wall but that makes it sound more like "real metal" tbh. there's so much heart in it. glorious album tbh.

Pretty sure Pike sings on BBW.

I wanna listen to it now. Excellent album.

I don't know if it's just me but Art/Surrounded/BBW sound like a triptych and they changed their sound a little bit after that and got more like... i don't know how to describe it, but more metallic in a different way? more riffs that sounded like they were descended from thrash? am i crazy?

nah, yr right, they totally did. the riffs from mid to late career really hit you in the fuckin' face, which is why I know lots of people who aren't into the whole doom/stoner aesthetic love them.

i'm listening to electric messiah and de vermis mysteriis like all the time practically. the sound that they shifted to, is that in a thrash vein? i'd love to check out more metal that sounds like this. i know reign in blood but never really spent any other slayer or classic metallica or megadeth. basically i just want to find more stuff that has a similar aura of all-consuming violence and machismo with like mythical overtones and more chromatic / jarring riffs along with more melodic stuff.

there are thrash elements in it, increasingly so over the years, but it's not full-on thrash. which is kind of what makes it neat, it's a very thick gumbo of sludge/stoner, and Pike's favorite elements from other genres like thrash, maybe occasional death.

trying to think of other stuff in this vein....uhh.....hmm. was gonna say Junior Bruce but they steal a wee bit too much from HoF for me to put them in the same league. have to think on it a bit!

You would probably like Power Trip, and you might like Lair of the Minotaur.

good call on Power Trip

ty

Power Trip is PERFECT

lair of the minotaur might be even more perfect. THANK YOU. sorry i was rude to you on that other thread unperson.

discogs brought up nile - loving the sound of "vile nilotic rites", might fuck with that too

good album, pretty much comfort food Nile. possibly seek out the songs "Kafir", "Black Seeds of Vengeance", or "Barra Edinazzu" (each from diff albums" as well.

thumbs up. digging into mastodon too.

if you want heavier Mastodon, Remission and Leviathan are the more primitive punch you in the mouth albums, though I like almost all of their eras.

remission would definitely fit that bill

early baroness too esp the 1st 2 sludgey EPs

Power, machismo, mythical overtones: clearly you need some Manowar.

i've got a playlist now with power trip's nightmare logic, lair of the minotaur's war metal battle master (great title), mastodon's remission and emperor of sand and the two aforementioned high on fire albums.

first impressions:

power trip basically wants to sound like reign in blood, which is cool. singer obviously came up through post-hardcore but everything else screams rick rubin producing slayer in 1986.

lair of the minotaur album is pretty fun, very impassioned, i dig the vocal style switch-ups, but is a little clumsy and amateur. i bet they're a lot of fun live.

the mastodon albums i'll probably spend some more time with. i think i like the sound and 80s metal / progressive rock feel of emperor of sand more than remission which sounds a little more like post-hardcore to me. they're definitely more of a progressive rock / post-hardcore band with metal elements blended in. the drummer is a little too busy for my taste. i never really jibed with this kind of prog sound so idk about these guys yet though there are some undeniably cool songs.

as far as high on fire goes, hearing these other bands kind of underscores how excellent they are imo.

a very thick gumbo of sludge/stoner

lair of the minotaur album is pretty fun, very impassioned, i dig the vocal style switch-ups, but is a little clumsy and amateur. i bet they're a lot of fun live.

hahahah i mean, you should listen to 7000 Dying Rats (dude's former band) ... it's more "funny" than minotaur. I vaguely remember a friend of mine touring with them as the drummer at one point

If concerts ever come back, HoF are one of the best live bands I've ever seen. Hollow your ears right out but you'll smile while it's happening

oh man i would love love love to see them live. i was just thinking about that this morning! like for the first time i really want to see live music again and it would be hof.

I've only seen them live once -- place was packed, hometown show fwiw -- totally worth it.

HoF is up there with MBV and Sunn O))) as a band you can feel.

I wasn't even a huge fan when I saw them the first time! I had many of their albums (most, actually), but more a casual fan. I had a ticket to see their Orlando show and was free the Friday before and decided to see them in Tampa. was a bit surprised by how much more I was into it than expected, and Pike's guitar leads were so fluid and clear and I felt like I could almost *see* them.

so I go again on Sunday, exhausted, tired, and cranky, and figure it's not going to be as good. the sound was overwhelmingly loud yet paradoxically clear, and Pike was pretty much holding his guitar like a literal weapon, couldn't believe the sounds he was getting out of that thing that night. probably a crowd of like 100, and everybody was going nuts, me included. didn't get to sleep until like 2 or 3 am cos I was so wound up about how great the show was, it far exceeded the first one, and for a while was my favorite show ever. when he got to the "Snakes for the Divine" encore it was like a gigantic victory lap.

became much more a fan, went back and bought the albums of theirs I didn't have.

only one time I saw them where they didn't destroy, and that was at Psycho Las Vegas last year. they were in a 10,000 seat convention center that swallowed them, and the sound was awful. Pike was visibly upset by it.

much better last year in Tampa, and the new material really slays live

yeah, I wasn't a major fan when I saw them either -- was pretty much going to hang with a friend who got in free to all the shows at the club where they were playing because she used to be neighbors with the club owners and had helped them with the remodel (mainly painting, nothing super fancy). Anyway, it was one of the few shows I have been to where I came into it with no expectations and was like, "damn, this is really fucking great." ...

One of the few post-70s bands where they're very much a metal band but don't really fit a metal subgenre.

Definitely one of the few bands that gets the "heavy" part of metal right. Their songs have weight, like you wouldn't want to drop one one your foot.

bendy and JiC otm. the guitars also sound and feel like buzzsaws. calling a guitar an 'axe' in this context makes perfect sense.

gotta credit Pike with battling a lot of issues to keep going, his alcoholism, then his diabetes health complications. had tickets to 4 diff shows of theirs that were cancelled for one reason or another for either reason. the last time (his toe amputation) I could almost hear his tears in the press release...he wanted to be on the road playing and it hurt to cancel those shows.

they weren't even the headliners of that show (Municipal Waste were) but I asked for a refund as I told the promoters "this lineup just got 75% lamer without them".

also had tickets tos ee them twice that I never used :(. once I accidentally forgot I had a conflict with the date and had to sell, the other they were playing in ATL and I was road weary and fighting a summer-long hangover due to my ambitious concert traveling and just couldn't bear to trek 8 hours to see another show. I regret that one a lot, esp cos of it being at a dope venue.

pretty incredible to be a member of Sleep and HoF simultaneously. I saw both last year!

i played electric messiah to death and then played vermiis to death and now i guess i'm ready to play luminiferous to death as it's really sounding great right now. "the falconist" and "the lethal chamber" are sooooo lit.

Carcosa is my fav from that one

also sick as hell. no track on this one that doesn't hit imo.

the only song i've encounteredthat i haven't been totally sure about is "warhorn" but 1) i can dig that it's different 2) i think it's mostly successful and 3) it's grown on me

other favs are "the pallid mask" and "drowning dog" (such a gut-wrencher) from em and "fertile green" and "madness of an architect" from de vermiis

"king of days" too

i've listened to these so much that there isn't a track that hasn't been a favorite tbh

still caning these guys lol.

i even got into luminiferous though it's obviously not quite as great as some of the others.

Some friends of mine are making a stink about Matt Pike coming off a conspiracy-minded crank here:

https://thequietus.com/articles/31016-matt-pike-interview

Which he is! But I was expecting much, much worse, unless I missed something major, which is possible, because he is so cranky I kind of skimmed.

Not really surprised either, hasn't he been going on about David Icke and lizard people for decades now?

I definitely remember Pike mentioning Icke in an interview I read years ago. The only musician I've ever had bring the reptoids up to me in an interview was Wino, who's now an anti-vax crank, so.

From what I've read in interviews with Pike and from my one, extremely drunken on his part, conversation with the guy, he seems more to just be into the lizard people conspiracy thing from a "this is batshit sci-fi fodder for kick-ass metal songs", I haven't gotten the sense that it's too engrained but I could be wrong.

I picked up an Icke book from a charity shop last year thinking I'd find out what his thing was. It's still sitting in a pile unread beside he toilet.
THought it be some interest. I dunno.

Like seeing how glaring the holes were or something

Oh there was definitely a time in my life I would have checked one of his books out from sheer curiosity, had I been aware enough to care.

Doing some googling, yeah, it's def. a weird purgatory of repurposing the Protocols of the Elders of Zion as a lizard people parable drawn from life, but the lizards are not, Icke insists, not Jews, just all powerful Zionists who *happen* to be actual, real space lizards.

I dunno, I didn't waste any more time on him. Pike, it's hard to tell what's up with Pike, though if you told me he believed or believed in literally anything it wouldn't come as a shock. Iirc the dude is even anti-earplug.

No interest in defending the guy, especially if there's more questionable beliefs of his I haven't stumbled across before, but he always struck me more as the old fashioned aliens and Illuminati corner bar type conspiracy theorist than the more dangerous, anti-vax, Q adjacent always online modern type conspiracy theorist.

Very contrarian "I would never belong to any club that would have me as a member" vibe.

he seems more to just be into the lizard people conspiracy thing from a "this is batshit sci-fi fodder for kick-ass metal songs", I haven't gotten the sense that it's too engrained but I could be wrong.

The line between aliens and Illuminati and Q has gotten thinner over time - the kooks were never quite as harmlessly goofy as we wanted to believe.

I think they were slightly more harmless before they were able to congregate online and stoke each others batshit.

a friend posted about this interview on FB with the "anarchist libertarian" bit, and I was like, "uh, I wonder if he's still in Oakland?" and then I skimmed the interview and lol of course he moved to Portland

Matt Pike seems like the sort of dude who lives wherever he wakes up. Did you see that thing about his amputated toe?

No surprise, the new song is pretty rad, but cliche or not it concerns me a little that Pike would name the album and song "Cometh the Storm." Given his predilections, he's the last guy I'd want talking about a coming storm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVr9AU9gMfo