“Serums of Liao”
Ok, it’s been a while but what better album to kick it back into high gear than the latest from High on Fire. If you need an introduction to this band, you’ve fucked up. Bury your head back in the sand and await the worms that will end your life. I was fortunate enough to catch High on Fire during SxSW here in Austin and was surprised to hear new material from the band. Alas, De Vermis Mysteriis was announced and all I thought about was Lovecraft. Then Matt Pike released a quote, outlying the album’s conceptual background. I won’t bother quoting it, because it’s irrelevant to the review.
High on Fire’s last album, Snakes for the Divine didn’t sizzle for me. In fact, Arik Roper’s artwork was the only thing I really liked. It had been a while since the band had the same intensity of say, Blessed Black Wings or Death is this Communion but don’t cringe, De Vermis Mysteriis has found a place next to them. While Kurt Ballou is no Steve Albini, he did manage to hone the devil within Pike to a sharp ax and chop the mother fucking head off a cave troll.
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