Review by Saxy S for High on Fire - De vermis mysteriis (2012)

I truthfully don't have a lot to say about this album. What I will say however is that High on Fire had themselves a very impressive 2010s. They were one of the decades most consistent bands who just kept making killer music. And their music was impressive; stoner/sludge metal with a hint of thrash thrown in on top of it all to make it super dense and encapsulating. I'm not much of a stoner myself, but this album is so easy to get lost in even if you are sober, which makes for a truly transcendent experience.

This album is heavy, relentless and unforgiving, which does lead me to one of its biggest strengths: its precision. This record doesn't sound like it was recorded in the drummers basement late on a Tuesday night. It's very clean and very easy to digest. I know that Matt Pike is a legend in the sludge metal scene, and this album is proof of that for me. Very solid stuff.