Get high!

I think I'm becoming more of a metal fan as I get older. I've been listening to a lot of black metal (Woe, Happy Days, Leviathan, Xasthur, Weakling, Blood of Kingdu, Ash Pool, old and new Darkthrone), 1980s American stuff like Icon and Assassin, classic Canucks such as Razor and Anvil and the usual and unusual NWOBHM suspects: Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, Bleak House, Dark Star, to say nothing of more recent acts like Sunn0))), Corrupted, Wolves In The Throne Room, Slough Feg, Cauchemar, Christian Mistress, Hammers of Misfortune, Bison B.C. Reverend Bizarre, The Obsesessed, St. Vitus and Wino's other various outlets ... but all that's just mostly in the last five years. I always listened to Black Sabbath, Voivod and Motorhead, but there's one act that bridged the gap between listening habits new and old, and that's High on Fire. I was one of the few to catch them when they played Ottawa last time around, opening for Voivod on a frosty 1990s night, and have stuck with them since — not hard to do since there albums to date have all been top-notch.

Here's the mainman Matt Pike himself, with drummer Des Kensel behind him.



Over on the left side of the stage, Jeff Matz.



Fiery action!



Des hits!



Monitors, still mostly for standing on.



Matt sings (or perhaps "bellows" would be more accurate).



The whole lot!



High on Fire's stage crew were kind enough to let me go down front.



Brace yourself!



More Matz!



Time for a bit of chit-chat.



Feedback action!



Them amplifiers!



Roof-raising action!



A killer show.

• Show reminder: Evening Hymns, Giant Hand and Jon Amor are at the Umi Cafe; just up the street at Raw Sugar you'll find Dirty Projectors' Nat Baldwin, Kurt Weisman, and Travis Laplante of Little Women; power pop aficionados will all be heading to Babylon to see The Biters, Mother's Children and The Bators; Tim Barry, Sainte Catherines, Dig It Up, Cavaliers!, Northcote and Jon Creeden perform at Mavericks; Jimmy Hunt plays Zaphod's; Hugh Pool and Mulebone get bluesy at The Rainbow before the regular Thursday reggae show; the Elmdale House Tavern hosts The Ringtones, Scottmandu and Devlin Miles.

Frost, faith and fire

Many years ago I bought High On Fire's debut album on Man's Ruin. It was definitely one of the most hard-charging metal albums I'd heard. Shortly thereafter they came to town for a show at Babylon with Voivod that didn't get the audience it deserved - I think the promoters, who were also starting up a tattoo parlour, were kind of new to the concert promotion business. Also it was a cold night in a cold month. More than a decade has passed, and it's widely recognized that HOF is one of the hottest metal combos around. Thus, they were the headliners instead of the openers at an all-round kickass show at Capital Music Hall.

Opening act was Athens, Ohio metal combo Skeletonwitch. They were just starting to crank things out as I walked up the stairs at the Capital Music Hall. These dudes obviously like bands like Mercyful Fate and Exodus, and get some of their growl from black metal as well. They really motored through their set, stopping only to recommend the consumption of beer, pot and pussy between tunes.


Skeletonwitch at Capital Music Hall, July 23, 2010

Priestess filled the middle slot with their relatively more melodic metal take. I've already seen these guys a bunch of times ... I think they may be the out-of-town act I've seen the most of - heck, I've seen more of them than some local acts of similar vintage. They just keep on touring! This was a pretty hot set from them, and their projection backdrop was also working a bit better than it was at their Mavericks show with Early Man and Trigger Effect in November 2009.Unfortunately it was not such a boon in terms of photography.


Priestess at Capital Music Hall, July 23, 2010

Finally High On Fire appeared to steamroller everyone's eardrums with selections from their extensive catalogue of heavy metal thunder. Axeman Matt Pike kept up a never-ending barrage of his trademark sliding riffs while his mighty rhythm section served up a pounding backdrop. Unfortunately they didn't play an encore. Still, a mighty hot show. I'm hoping we don't have to wait another decade until they come through town again.


High On Fire at Capital Music Hall, July 23, 2010

Skeletonwitch and High On Fire are now off to Montreal for their inaugural Heavy Metal Fesival.

• Show reminder: Bloomistry, and Oceans are at the Raw Sugar Cafe; Horses, Orphan Choir, The Mudplots and Jersey Hurtt & the Skidkids rock the basement at 443 Kent St.; Danny Rebel & The KGB and The Living Sound System pop in to The Rainbow; Sandman Viper Command, The Panama, and Ornaments play Cafe Dekcuf; Captain Firebutton reunites at Mavericks; Irene's hosts Rudeboy; Uncle Sean and the Shifty Drifters and Marie-Josee Houle perform at the Elmdale House. Ska boys The Sidewalks and Dame Alexander are at the Avant-Garde.