High on Fire

Roadburn 2017 Live Review

By GardensTale on May 1, 2017 in 2017, Blog Posts, Live Reviews, 45 comments

“Every year, something special takes place in my hometown of Tilburg, The Netherlands: the festival of Roadburn. Roadburn isn’t like your average festival. There’s no marquees, no fields of green devolving into mud, and no crowds the size of small towns worshiping the biggest bands. Instead, thousands of people dressed in black gather from every corner of the continent, and some from other continents, to see over 100 doom, stoner and other kinds of acts whose success lies almost entirely in the underground.” Welcome to the dope show.

Zaum – Eidolon Review

By Eldritch Elitist on October 26, 2016 in 2016, Canadian Metal, Doom Metal, I Hate, Reviews, Stoner Rock, Doom Metal, Stoner Rock, 23 comments

“Anyone who’s made this blog a regular haunt knows there are several “don’ts” many of us consider when we review albums: don’t bloat your album length, don’t brickwall the damn thing in production, and so on. Far be it from me as a probational scribe to suggest a new entry for our Tome ov Rules, but after listening to sophomore effort, Eidolon, from Canadian doomers’ Zaum, I’ve settled on a new guideline for my personal rulebook: when writing a full-length album, don’t put all of your stock in only two massive songs.” A good rule is a good rule, regardless of its source.

Spirit Adrift – Chained to Oblivion Review

By Grymm on August 7, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Doom Metal, Prosthetic Records, Reviews, Doom Metal, 28 comments

“Everyone and their second cousin (twice removed) knows by now that there’s a glut of one-man black metal bands. You have a guitar, a barely functional computer, a mic, and some time to kill? That’s a perfect recipe to stave off boredom for at least a few months (or days, if you’re Vardan). One-man doom metal, though? That requires some serious time, dedication, and at least a decent knowledge of every instrument possible.” Bring forth the sad loner!

Conclave – Sins of the Elders Review

By Grymm on June 1, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Doom Metal, Lost Apparitions Records, Reviews, Sludge, Doom Metal, Sludge, 8 comments

“When you think of Massachusetts, many images pop into your head immediately. Legendary sports dynasties, people with goofy accents, cities with tough-to-pronounce names, the Big Dig, the entire Kennedy clan… oh, and metalcore. Lots and lots of metalcore… and Converge. You don’t look at the Bay State and think to yourself, “Gee, I’m sure there’s quality doom metal afoot here.” Hell, I sure didn’t!” Let’s listen to doom metal as we potty!

Allfather – Bless the Earth with Fire Review

By Mark Z. on April 21, 2016 in 2016, English Metal, Hardcore, Reviews, Sludge, Static Tension Recordings, Hardcore, Sludge Metal, 36 comments

“Back in January, St. Louis trio The Lion’s Daughter caught a few of us off guard here at the AMG offices with their grotesque and captivating sophomore LP, Existence Is Horror. The record was surprisingly impressive for such an early-year release, and it even had AMG himself proclaiming that 2016 would be the Year of Blackened Sludge. If Allfather’s Bless the Earth with Fire proves anything, AMG was at least half right.” AMG is generally between 1/4 and 1/2 right.

Beastwars – The Death of All Things Review

By Saunders on April 20, 2016 in 2016, Destroy Records, Doom Metal, New Zealand Metal, Reviews, Sludge, Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Stoner Rock, 19 comments

“New Zealand’s Beastwars popped up on my radar with their excellent Blood Becomes Fire album in 2013. They impressed me with their bruising style of doomy sludge metal, combining the heft of Leviathan-era Mastodon and molten riffage of High on Fire before injecting subtle doses of ’90s grunge, prog and classic rock influences into the mix.” Feast on this beast.

Best and Worst Sounding Records of 2015 [Angry Metal-Fi]

By Angry Metal Guy on January 2, 2016 in 2015, Angry Metal-Fi, Blog Posts, Lists, 131 comments

“It’s that time again where we extol those releases that exemplify high caliber production and condemn those which exact tyranny on all of our collective volume knobs. 2015 was a break out year for production in metal if you ask me. Not because the percentage of releases had higher DR scores mind you. Quite the opposite actually. But because you guys have made production a real talking point across the web.”

Grymm Comments: on Maturity and Conversion to Metal

By Grymm on December 13, 2015 in Blog Posts, 102 comments

“Back in 2011, the ever-insightful Steel Druhm penned an excellent piece on being an older metalhead. It’s a very well-written, short essay on what it’s like to be a mature metalhead when many of your peers and colleagues have since moved away from our hallowed music genre of choice. As someone who is just a little over a year away from hitting 40, I’m going to expand on this subject a little.” Metalize the geezers!

Mammoth Storm – Fornjot Review

By Grymm on November 3, 2015 in 2015, Doom Metal, Drone, Napalm Records, Reviews, Swedish Metal, Doom Metal, Drone, 40 comments

“I learned a major lesson this year writing for Angry Metal Guy Industries Unlimited, Inc.. No, I still keep the toilet seat lid up after I go. Rather, band names are everything. This calendar year alone, I’ve reviewed bands named after long Biblical phrases, Roman numerals, house breaking your dog, and even a band that was one letter away from sending homophobic metalheads running for their nearest vial of eye-bleach. And now? Mammoth Storm from Sweden is here.” A hard rain is gonna fall.

Khemmis – Absolution Review

By Steel Druhm on July 7, 2015 in 20 Buck Spin, 2015, American Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Doom Metal, 28 comments

“2015 may not end up a magical year for metal, but it has certainly dropped some earth-shaking doom on the unsuspecting masses. In the wake of mammoth shit kickers from Crypt Sermon and Goatsnake, we must now reckon with the ponderous girth of unheralded Colorado doomers, Khemmis and their righteous debut, Absolution.” your doom is at hand once again.