islandclaws

Official press release:

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." And that's just scratching the surface!

Musically, De Vermis Mysteriis is absolutely explosive, showcasing the California power trio's thundering roar and expanded harmonic and rhythmic palettes while the songs move confidently through multiple riffs and movements. High On Fire construct tough, burly stoner metal that is at once devastatingly epic and mercilessly metallic as superstar guitarist Matt Pike's sizzling ax and avenging-angel riffs fuse with Des Kensel's double-kick-drum onslaught and Jeff Matz's concrete crushing, Burton-esque bass guitar. Over the course of forty-five minutes, High On Fire have created an amalgamation of fantastical lyrical ideas and brute force musicianship anchored in an endlessly captivating, punkishly frantic sound. Simply put, the band generates awesome on demand and has a virtual chokehold on monolithic-sounding, masterfully crafted epic music. High On Fire is a savage bull in the china shop of modern metal.

When asked for comment on De Vermis Mysteriis, Pike somewhat cryptically replied, "Prepare for your dark journey."

The track listing for High On Fire's De Vermis Mysteriis is as follows:

01. Serums of Liao
02. Bloody Knuckles
03. Fertile Green
04. Madness of an Architect
05. Interlude
06. Spiritual Rites
07. King of Days
08. De Vermis Mysteriis
09. Romulus and Remus
10. Warhorn

<img src=http://www.theprp.com/wp-content/uploads/highonfiremysteriis.jpg alt=hof

************************************************

I didn't want to just drop this into the metal thread, although I'm sure HoF fans are in short supply here. I loved Snakes for the Divine, and I've heard a few of these cuts live already. Should be a killer record.

Violets Dyed

I loved Sleep. I am very interested in this.

asianxcore

Looking forward to this.

miller_time22

I didn't like Snakes for the Divine as much as the previous 2, but it was still very good. This just sounds awesome. Can't wait to hear it.

anomynous

It's already up for pre-order on Amazon

FantasticVSDoom

Excited for this one!

sniper007

In advance of the new album's release, High on Fire will perform a number of live dates as part of the 2012 SXSW Music and Media Festival in Austin, Texas. The band is expected to preview new material at the SXSW shows. The just-announced dates are as follows:

March 13 Austin, TX Emo's East (Non-SXSW headline show)
March 14 Austin, TX SXSW (MetalSucks day party)
March 15 Houston, TX Fitzgerald's
March 16 Austin, TX SXSW (Brooklyn Vegan day party)
March 17 Austin, TX SXSW TBA
March 18 Austin, TX SXSW (High Times day party)



High on Fire will also be part of this year's Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. They'll be joined by Slayer, Slipknot, Anthrax The Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying and Asking Alexandria, and Whitechapel.

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tour dates:

Jun 30 San Manuel Amphitheater San Bernardino, CA
Jul 01 Shoreline Amphitheatre Mountain View, CA
Jul 03 White River Amphitheatre Auburn, WA
Jul 04 TBD Boise, ID
Jul 06 Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion Phoenix, AZ
Jul 07 Hard Rock Pavilion Albuquerque, NM
Jul 08 Comfort Dental Amphitheatre Englewood, CO
Jul 10 Gexa Energy Pavilion Dallas, TX
Jul 11 The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Spring, TX
Jul 13 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre At the Florida State Fairgrounds Tampa, FL
Jul 14 Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood Atlanta, GA
Jul 15 Klipsch Music Center Noblesville, IN
Jul 18 TBD Oklahoma City, OK
Jul 20 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Maryland Heights, MO
Jul 21 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre Tinley Park, IL
Jul 22 DTE Energy Music Theatre Clarkston, MI
Jul 24 Riverbend Music Center Cincinnati, OH
Jul 25 Blossom Music Center Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Jul 27 Susquehanna Bank Center Camden, NJ
Jul 28 First Niagara Pavilion Burgettstown, PA
Jul 29 Jiffy Lube Live Bristow, VA
Jul 31 Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saratoga Springs, NY
Aug 01 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center Darien Center, NY
Aug 03 Comcast Center Mansfield, MA
Aug 04 Toyota Pavilion At Montage Mountain Moosic, PA
Aug 05 Comcast Theatre Hartford, CT

islandclaws

Aside from every gay ass band listed after Anthrax, I'd almost consider going to Mayhem. I haven't been to a festival show in at least a decade.

Hiro11

I love this band. Doing something with Ballou is a great idea, his production can be stellar.

islandclaws

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SKAJ250kr2Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KAfoTP1R0Go" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

islandclaws

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DX4yy3TwdvM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

*****************************************************

Awwwwwwww, yea.

nodeerforamonth

Works for me! Looking forward to this!

islandclaws

Today's the day! Hopefully my local Target has this in stock since I loathe the thought of driving to a Best Buy.

Maxflier

Don't forget the $2 off coupon (which can be found on the bands Facebook page) if you are getting this at Best Buy.

islandclaws

Didn't know about that, thanks. I'll print it out and hit my BB tomorrow.

asianxcore

I really like it. Enjoying that the album on the whole has a lot of mid-tempo songs.

"Romulus and Remus" is awesome!

islandclaws

Ahhhh, technology. I was able to just show the cashier at BB the coupon on my phone, so I snagged it for $7.99.

I know it's early still, but after a healthy dozen or so spins this is gonna be hard to top for my favorite album this year. It's just So. Fucking. Metal.

And Doom. So, so doom.