It is always nice to have a few bands around in the metal scene that have shown themselves to be consistent and reliable. I like variation and progression as much as the next guy, but there is something to be said for bands who always give you exactly what you expect (in a good way). Oakland’s High on Fire have become one of these bands for me. Headed by the human riff machine, Matt Pike, formerly of doom legends Sleep, the modern kings of stoner metal have released a string of 3 highly enjoyable (and repetitious) albums since 2000. Though I appreciate their consistent approach, I commend them for tinkering slightly with their formula on their latest, Death is this Communion, producing an outstanding result and easily their best album yet.

I can’t say for sure what is the cause for the subtle nuances contained in Death is this Communion, and frankly it doesn’t matter. Perhaps it is the inclusion of the new bassist, Jeff Matz, formerly of thrash legends Holy Terror and more recently of punk metal outfit Zeke. Perhaps it is the input of new producer Jack Endino, who surprisingly outdoes the previous efforts of the great Steve Albini and brings out the thickest and fullest sound heard on a High on Fire record to date. Whatever the reason, Pike and the boys are out to show you they’re not simply an endless vault of thick stoner riffs, though they are assuredly that as well. The opener, Fury Whip, is a classic HoF track, a hard driving stoner metal affair that is very direct and lets the riffs do the work. At this point, besides the production, the only real change I heard was the more aggressive vocals utilized by Pike. They still have the gruff sound heard on past releases, but to me they now sound much angrier and fit the music better. The first glimpse of experimentation follows on Waste of Tiamat, with an opening middle eastern sounding acoustic charge, which is the gateway to a mesmerizing riff display by Pike. These two styles switch back and forth with great results. The acoustic breaks serve to make the mammoth riffing sound heavier than anything I have ever heard from this band. This song also contains a neck breaking thrash bridge and an amazing extended solo by Pike. I would go so far as to say that this is the best song High on Fire have put on record so far, by a long shot at that. Waste of Tiamat is seriously that good. The rest of the album is no slouch either. The title track slows the pace down to more of a thick groove, which is more reminiscent of their signature sound, but is made all the more pummeling by the fantastic production. I don’t want to go into much detail on the three interlude style tracks (Khanrad’s Wall, Headhunter, and DII), though I will say that they serve the flow of Death is this Communion very well, breaking up the pace effectively. One of my other favorites is Turk, which just might be the meanest song on the album. The pace kept by Des Kensel is one of an unstoppable and steady force. One thing to notice is how he times his drums often to intensify Pike’s riffing, a tactic used liberally on Turk. Once again, Pike’s solo near the close of the song is fantastic. As I sometimes wish Pike would remember his doom roots, I was glad to hear a few moments from his past incorporated in the form of a few doomy riffs on Cyclopian Scape and Ethereal. The former is the better of the two, containing some of the better riffs and solos on the album. The latter does contain some of Kensel’s best drum work though, and is still a nice track in its own right. The closing track, Return to NOD, is a good but not especially memorable track, perhaps because by this point the furious riff assault had exhausted my senses.

One thing is for sure after listening to Death is this Communion, and that is the seemingly endless array of riffs that Matt Pike is able to churn out. As long as he is at the helm, High on Fire will continue to be a reliable mainstay. Kudos to the band as well for introducing elements of thrash, doom, and middle eastern sounds as well as increased soloing to progress their sound ever so slightly. To top it off, the vocals have never sounded better. That said, the rhythm section, as before, is still the main attraction. If you often focus on guitar sound and are a sucker for crushing riffs like I am, then there aren’t too many albums released this year that deliver like Death is this Communion.