“'Burning Down' kicks off with a classic Pike riff,” says Jeff Matz. “I think this song harkens back to the early High on Fire sound, but infused with fresh, new elements. It has a killer groove that you can really sink into. The body of the song took shape in our PNW rehearsal space, and we came up with the bridge/solo section and finalized the arrangement while we were at GodCity. Kurt Ballou’s input as a producer was also hugely helpful. His keen ears and fresh perspective were invaluable in making this album.”
The GRAMMY Award-winning group, celebrating their 25th anniversary, recorded Cometh the Storm at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with producer Kurt Ballou. The 11-song effort - the band's ninth studio album - marks the release of the first new High on Fire music since 2018's Electric Messiah and the first to feature drummer Coady Willis (Big Business, Murder City Devils), alongside bassist Jeff Matz, and guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike.
It has been more than five years since the band’s revered Electric Messiah earned High on Fire ‘Best Metal Performance’ at the 2018 GRAMMY Awards, placing the unit among the ranks of groups such as Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and Metallica as winners of the prestigious award. “Being nominated for a Grammy was pretty mind blowing, but winning one was truly surreal,” says bassist Jeff Matz. “A Grammy win was certainly not something we were aiming for, but it’s quite an honor to be recognized in that way, and we are grateful. In terms of how it’s affected us, it has definitely opened some new doors—we’ve gained some new fans and wider recognition, but it hasn’t changed how we approach our craft. We’ve always tried to create uncompromising music that feels good to us, and is in line with what we would want to listen to.”
In the half decade since the band’s Grammy nod, the world has seismically shifted and is a different place. The same can be said for High on Fire. The band’s musical archetype has been modded, morphed, and evolved; its blast radius widened. Bassist Jeff Matz joined Mutoid Man and traveled abroad to study and learn the techniques of Middle Eastern folk music and the plucked string instrument, the bağlama (or saz), Matt Pike formed a solo band, released an LP, and toured the U.S., and world-renowned percussionist, Coady Willis, he of Melvins, Big Business, and Murder City Devils united with Pike and Matz to breathe new life into the group a quarter century into their captivating career.
The lead track on High on Fire’s new album, Cometh the Storm, is the invigorating 'Burning Down', a vigorous barrage which exemplifies the prowess the unification of the three professional musicians owns.
Universally recognized as one of the most potent acts in music today, High on Fire creates dynamic metal that merges primal fury and aggression, hesher bombast and hall of fame heaviness. Described as "a supersonic exercise in conquest by volume," High on Fire has rewritten the hard rock rule book since their formation in 1998, forging a style and sound that is both critically celebrated and unique. The group features vocalist and cult guitar hero Matt Pike (also a founding member of the famed underground band SLEEP) singular bassist Jeff Matz, and powerhouse drummer Coady Willis.
High on Fire are:
Matt Pike: guitar, vocals
Jeff Matz: bass, guitar, bağlama, mellotron, percussion
Coady Willis: drums, percussion, vocals
