Album Review: High On Fire - Luminiferous
By Sam Carroll, Contributor
[E1 Music; 2015]
Rating: 4/5
Key Tracks: "The Black Plot," "Slave the Hive," "The Cave"
High on Fire released The Art of Self Defense in 2000. The debut had an obvious influence from front man Matt Pike’s days in the legendary stoner band Sleep; it was loud with thick, fuzzed out guitar solos and it kickstarted Sleep’s slow style with a small dose of speed metal.
Fast forward to 2015; the Oakland trio releases its seventh LP, Luminiferous. It keeps the volume from HoF's early albums but adopts a modern, aggressive sound. It’s High on Fire’s attempt to release a thrash album, and the group doesn’t fail to deliver.
“The Black Plot” immediately throws the listener into a frenzy of bombastic drums and searing guitar leads. The opening draws cues from the main riff of “Snakes for Divine,” but branches off into new territory when Pike’s guttural vocals join in. The lyrics, about human history being shaped by alien abduction, stem from a lot of H.P. Lovecraft’s work, but they don’t translate incredibly well in the mix. Sonically Pike’s vocals work with the tone of the music, but it’s hard to understand what he’s yelling about.
Luckily, it doesn’t detract much from the listening experience. The music alone has enough energy to cause neck problems. Luminiferous is similar to De Vermis Mysteriis in that it steps away from the band’s sludgy sound. However, it ditches the progressive sound Mysteriis established. “Slave The Hive” displays the release’s thrash influence best. Guitar leads and drum fills are reminiscent of early Megadeth.
Lyrics criticize the modern day office drone, but there is still a hint of sci-fi with the Big Brother sense of surveillance. “They got us wired to the reptile brain / Your life is not the same, this world is insane / Played by the man, just a torturous hand, executing his plans.” It’s a nice change of pace compared to High on Fire’s fantasy-driven themes. HoF isn’t as original as other bands that have tackled the same subject, but the song makes up for it with excellent music for a mosh pit.
“The Cave” is to Luminiferous as “Fade to Black” is to Metallica’s Ride The Lightning. The ballad stays in touch with the trio’s skull-crushing sound. A warm bass line opens the track as acoustic guitars pump out a mellow rhythm in the background. Pike’s swirling vocals add mystique to the clean music’s calm atmosphere. It’s a smooth transition from clean to heavy and back.
The variety across Luminiferous makes it stand out in High on Fire’s catalog, but a few songs follow a generic pattern by the group’s standards and sound rehashed from Death Is This Communion. Slow, heavy power chords largely drive “Carcosa,” “The Sunless Years” and “Dark Side of the Compass.” “Carcosa” stands out among the three due to its huge bottom end similar to that from the group’s early material. It’s a good song, but it sounds 13 years too late.
Luminiferous is a welcome addition to High on Fire’s library. The LP delivers sonic mayhem with an iron fist welded to rocket engines. The occasional generic track slows down otherwise nonstop action. The production keeps the raw sound High on Fire is known for and rids it of any muddy bottom end. The energy is unmatched by any of the group’s previous releases. It’s perfect for going on LARPing rampages in suburbia, or playing air guitar while head banging like there’s no tomorrow.
