| Reviews for High on Fire's Surrounded by Thieves |
| High on Fire- Surrounded by Thieves - 100% |
| Written by Dread_Mercenary
on November 6th, 2009
|
| High on fire’s surrounded by thieves was my first exposure to stoner doom metal, and I am glad for that. The moment the first riffs came blaring out of my speakers, they grabbed me by shirt and dragged me through a field of heaviness and aggression that is not matched by many other genres, despite the fact that a lot of bands are about 3 times as fast as this. Then again, speed doesn’t make anything particularly heavy or aggressive. After all, you don’t hear anyone calling techno aggressive, and that goes pretty damn fast, but it’s shockingly repetitive and has no guitars, so is dead to me. But no-one wants to hear rants about techno, (maybe because this is the metal archives) so I’ll get on with the review. I’ll start with the music, which is absolutely killer. It’s driven by Matt Pike’s riffing, which shits all over anything in the ‘metal mainstream’ right now (Most of which isn’t even real metal). This couldn’t be any more metal if the band members were titanium statues and the disc was made of pure steel. Pike also provides amazing solos, which show Matt’s talents and originality on the fret board. These kinds of fast, skilful, solos are not heard very often these days. Pike is an incredible songwriter, with no song becoming boring or monotonous, with the exception of the intro on Eyes & Teeth, which seems to go on forever. All this riffing and soloing is reinforced by the incredible drumming of Des Kensel, who is a force to be reckoned within the extreme metal world, capable of blasting out some crazy drumming which is packed with fills, but not quite to the point of wankery. The fast drums are not what you would expect, given the slow, sludgy guitar work. Bass player George Rice is actually heard, although that is not surprising, given that this is a power trio after all. Rice left the band to focus on his other band, Watch Them Die, before the release of the follow up to this, ‘Blessed Black Wings’. The production on this album is immense, a wave of riffs, fills and solos, that do not let up for a moment. The standout track on the album is ‘Thraft of Caanan’, which is an epic, eight minute beast of a song. This track is not as fast as most of the tracks, but still grabs your attention. It is also more progressive, and adopts a more surreal feeling than the rest of the album. This album is a classic, and should be heard by any fan of sludge, stoner or doom metal. This is definitely one of the best albums of 2002, maybe even the 21st century (although that’s debatable). This is so much better than mallcore, so if you’re looking for a good, modern band, look no further than High on Fire. |
| High on Life, Surrounded by Awesomeness - 95% |
| Written by Yashka
on August 24th, 2009
|
| On their Relapse debut, the ex-Sleep doomster(s) up the ante a notch in all aspects: songwriting, production, even artwork, and unleash the beast hinted at in their first album. The band got out of their drug induced stupor just long enough to write an entire album of succinct, catchy heavy tunes. With Billy Anderson manning the console once again, High on Fire produce their most fully realized vision to date. The first thing noticeable is that the production is a lot more clear than on The Art of Self Defense. Whereas The Art of Self Defense was akin to a journey up a smoke imbued, dense, forest covered mountain side, I would liken the atmosphere on Surrounded by Thieves as reaching the mountain top, only to roll back down in an avalanche of thick winding riffs, rumbling bass and driving tom heavy drum beats. Or maybe a relentless barbarian horde cutting a swath across a civilized kingdom, leaving a trail of blood, death and destruction in it's wake. Surrounded by Thieves starts off with one of the best 1-2 punches ever in Eyes and Teeth and Hung Drawn and Quartered, finishing the softened up listener with the knockout punch that is the aptly named Speed Wolf. On a whole, the album is a bit more uptempo than the previous. If fans are worried about the uptempo qualities of the first 3 songs, then no need to worry, because the band returns to it's familiar slow 'n heavy stylings on The Yeti. Thraft of Canaan sounds like it could be a rerecording of a lost Sabbath gem from Volume 4 or Sabotage, except for the ominous, heavy handed, pounding drums. The best song on the album is the closer, Razor Hoof which has the sort of groove that just makes you want to starts dancing. There I said, it, this album might make you want to dance. A barbaric, heathen dance, but dance nonetheless. The song closes with a short drum solo, fading into static, leaving you gasping for air, your heart pounding in your chest after the rollercoaster ride you just took. The Sabbath influence is there of course, but not all the riffs are derivative recycled Sabbathisms like a lot of so called stoner bands use. The riffs are more heavy metal influenced, and if not for the thick as a brick guitar tone, wouldn't be out of place on a NWOBHM or Motorhead record. The drummer hits the drums like a blacksmith hammering a glowing red piece of iron on an anvil. It seems like the drummer never stops hitting the kit, sort of like a stoner, less spastic version of Brann Dailor. There isn't much to say about the bass. It's audible, it follows the guitars, and it works. This isn't Rush, people. The album is not perfect. Where a lot of albums centerpiece might be the title track, the title track on Surrounded by Thieves is not the best song on the album. It's merely OK, which still makes it better than what most bands could ever write. That might be the only weak thing about this album, that the title track isn't as good as the other songs. Most bands would be that lucky to have the title track the weakest song on the album. Whoopty-fucking-do. High on Fire has created an album for the ages with this. No matter what weaksauce shit they might have released after this, the album stand as one of the best that Relapse has released. Buy it or be hacked to pieces by the axe wielding savage on the cover. |
| Plug In, Tune Out - 82% |
| Written by deluge71
on October 22nd, 2008
|
| At the time of this record's release (2002), I was becoming a little disillusioned with some of Relapse's more recent signings. Since its inception, the label had essentially stuck with bands that fit certain genre criteria. They had even gone so far as to list their focal points on the back of each CD release. But among the listings for grindcore, metal, experimental, and ambient, there was no "doom" or "stoner rock" to be found. It can certainly be argued that "metal" is a broad banner which encompasses many of those in-between genres, so we'll drop the "doom" classification for the moment. We're still left with stoner rock, which had typically been left to such distributors as Meteor City or The Music Cartel. Apparently some hot shot at Relapse had a wild hair up his ass, because the recent months had seen them promoting the likes of Pentagram and Alabama Thunderpussy alongside more traditional acts. 'Surrounded By Thieves' was essentially a heavier take on the THC-laced sludge rock of Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, and Earthride with a bit of Motorhead thrown in for good measure. Fortunately, they avoided the more "streamlined" or "danceable" approach of many stoner bands (which tended to ruin the likes of Fu Manchu and Queens of The Stone Age), and went for a sound that was geared toward the post-doom heaviness of bands like Warhorse or Sleep. In fact, the latter comparison was especially relevant, given that guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike was also the man behind such meisterwerks as "Sleep's Holy Mountain" and "Jerusalem". While High On Fire was texturally different from the droning Middle Eastern atmospheres of Pike's former outfit, there was a similar sense of foreboding on 'Surrounded By Thieves' that pointed back in that direction. Where there used to be extended passages of heavy ambiance, High On Fire tended toward repetitive(but not monotonous) riffs that easily became entrenched in the listener's memory. "Catchy" doesn't seem to be a good adjective, but there was a numbingly infectious nature about their molasses-drenched buzz-core that was simply undeniable. In High On Fire's discography, this record is second only to 'Death Is This Communion' in heaviness and memorability. Plug in, tune out, and drift into metal oblivion... |
| Good serving of HEAVY! - 90% |
| Written by purerockfury
on July 31st, 2004
|
| High on Fire may as well be concidered one of the heaviest bands to come around in the past 6 years. Pike and Co. have returned with their second sludge masterpiece, Surrounded By Thieves, which proves this exact theory. Pike's heavy/slugdy fret work compares to that of the doom fused work of Tony Iomi. Pike's massive guitar sound is accompanied by a thunderous rhythm section, notebly Dez Kendals monsterous drumming which seems to never cease until the end of the album. Another great aspect of this album are the vocals, which tend to low yet boisterous. Pikes vocals are extremely unqiue and definately add to the low pitched heaviness this band presents so well. This whole album can be summed up as a blizzard of heaviness; especially 'Hung Drawn & Quartered', which is probably the best track on the entire album. This album is a force to be reckoned with as well a mile stone in heavy music. |
| Solid album - 80% |
| Written by crewfan
on June 3rd, 2004
|
| Matt Pike of SLEEP fame has returned with "Surrounded By Thieves", the second album from his new project HIGH ON FIRE. Pike’s work in SLEEP was clearly heavily influenced heavily by BLACK SABBATH, with many of the songs sounding like SABBATH cast offs that weren’t quite able to live up to their legendary standard. Don’t get me wrong, it's not saying much to say a song doesn’t live up to BLACK SABBATH — most don’t. I enjoyed some of SLEEP's work, although I thought it borrowed too heavily from Birmingham’s finest. This new project shows us that that admiration and influence is still there, but there are clearly other influences and directions as well. Calling this album Sludge Metal is the understatement of the year. "Surrounded By Thieves" is so muddy that you have to wipe your fingers after putting the disc in your player. The songs are all relatively mid tempo 70’s stoner metal tracks that sound like a blend of influences dominated by the aforementioned SABBATH and MOTORHEAD. In addition to the latter’s influence on the music, in several places Pike’s vocals are reminiscent of Lemmy’s. Although these influences are clear, the album is much more than just a rip off of these bands. HIGH ON FIRE has borrowed heavily, but also added their own elements. Pike’s strategy, along with band mates Des Kensel (drums) and George Rice (bass), is to bludgeon the listener with a thick, muddy, pummeling sound. They are straight forward and no frills. Although quality musicianship is evident, the band prefers to a wall of fuzzy chords and rhythms to a sharper, more technique oriented sound. That said, Kensel adds quality fills and interesting rhythms, and Pike contributes occasional frantic solos. The standout track on the album is “Hung, Drawn, And Quartered,” which begins with a lengthy tom and double bass drum intro before the bass and guitar kick in and the band rolls through the song like a locomotive. Pike’s gravelly growl is consistent with the sludgy music. Other tracks to watch for include “The Yeti” and “Razor Hoof”, although if you like one it is unlikely that you will dislike any of them. One weakness of the album’s songwriting approach and production (done by Billy Anderson and the band) is that all the songs have a tendency to run together. When songs stand out it is usually because of Kensel’s drumming. Still, overall I’d recommend the album and find it quite enjoyable, although after playing it once through I rarely want to start it over again. Although the songs aren’t widely varied from each other, it provides a different sound than most bands are currently producing. |
| The Second Coming of Motorhead - 90% |
| Written by Anubis
on December 28th, 2003
|
| I know, I know, that is a hard statement to support. But think about this... High on Fire's mastermind, (Matt Pike), created a band out of the ashes of a lesser known, yet, in it's own way influential band. Matt Pike recruited two fairly unknown musicians to create a, yes kids, THREE PEICE BAND. High on Fire have taken ideas of previous bands and elaborated to an extreme known to few before them. High on Fire, at least in it's infancy, is accepted by but a minority, being, as in Motorhead's case, mainly Black Sabbath fans. This is what I think, and, as all of you should know by know, I am never, EVER, wrong. Bitch. (Plus they opened for Motorhead, and therefore, by myself at least, are considered to be at least in their roots, similar.) Bitch. AND THEY SOUND LIKE A SLUDGY MOTORHEAD FOR GOD'S SAKE! On to the review... Eyes and Teeth: This song makes me question the quality of my CD player every time I listen to it. There are about thirty seconds of silence, anded with bass feedback. Then the song bursts into a riff that is the perfect blend of Sabbath and Motorhead. The lyrics, as most of Pike's, are assorted, though mainly Christian (don't runaway corpsepainters) theology based, and for the most part are used metophorically. Good, solid song. Hung, Drawn, and Quartered: My second favorite song on here. Catchy as herpes in a whorehouse. This song has a riff that has to one of my favorite of all time for the pre-chorus. Great song. Speedwolf: Very good song, but for some reason, (probably because it's between my two favorite songs) I always see this as an interlude. It's good though. (The Ballad of) The Yeti: Incredible. Epic. Heavy. Catchy. It's has a Yeti cry in it for Christ's sake! My favorite song on here. Always good for a hard day, or when you're feeling lonely. Riffs, lyrics, all of it, amazing. Nemisis: It's good, but to tell the truth, is kind of a letdown after The Yeti. It's still good though. Hey, it's still metal! Thraft of Cannan: Another great song. Heavier than the weight on Atlas' shoulders. Good song, but the lyrics make this one work. I may be alone here, but Pike's lyricism is extremely entertaining to me. Sorrounded By Theives: Great, in every sense of the word. Like every song on here, very heavy, and this one almost seems like a story set back in a place like ancient Mesopotamia or Isreal. Great. Eyes and Teeth: The final chapter in a great story. All agression, loathing and fear created by this album is summed up in this song. Fast, hard, angry. The only song equipped to finish this album. A perfect ending. Remember, all reviews are subjective. And die hard fans of any and only one genre will probably not like this. It's one part thrash, one part sludge, and eighteen thousand parts apocolyptic. If you want to call this doom, fine. But you're wrong. You bastard. But what do I know, I'm just a simple sandwich salesmen. |
| DUN DUNDUNDUNDUN - 80% |
| Written by ironasinmaiden
on January 3rd, 2003
|
| Matt Pike formed High on Fire after leaving (legendary) doom band Sleep. There are no 52 minute songs here... and a lot of the sludge that made Pike famous is more or less absent. Instead, Surrounded by Thieves is a dose of droning metal quite unlike anything I've heard before.... I dunno how to describe what makes High on Fire so interesting. Their drummer has a really fuckin unique style... it's not exactly straight on fast but it's not doom laden either... somewhere in between, like a shuffle pace. This makes Pike's riffage all the more intriguing, and gives them a sound of their own. Speaking of Pike's riffage... 'tis total fuzzed out stonerfied grooves, and nothing less. There are no Jeruselam style dirges, just mid tempo thrashy goodness. I must add... these guys think up the coolest fucking song titled. Eyes and Teeth (my personal favorite), Thraft of Canaan, SPEEDWOLF? Come on man.. that is just m/. Matt Pike has garnered many comparisons to one Tony Iommi over the years, and while these are pretty much unwarranted, Surrounded By Theives is a cool ass stoner rock album that is heavier than your average Clutch. |