Death Is This Communion

Death Is This Communion
Death Is This Communion
	;
Studio album by High on Fire
Released	September 10 2007
Recorded	May - June 2007 at Avast! Recording Co. and Soundhouse Recording in Seattle, Washington
Genre	Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal
Length	56:46
Label	Relapse Records
Producer	High on Fire, Jack Endino
High on Fire chronology

Death Is This Communion (stylized as Death•Is•This•Communion•) is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band High on Fire. Recorded in the Spring of 2007,^[1] It was released on 10 September 2007 in Europe and 18 September 2007 in the United States. Notably it would be produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, etc.) and the first album to feature bassist Jeff Matz. Along with expanding further on their established metal sound, Frontman Matt Pike noted that the album's lyrics were influenced by conspiracy theorist David Icke, horror writer H. P. Lovecraft, and the Bible. Arik Roper would return to design the album art, which took two weeks to complete and described as "a death collage", with only lyrics to four of the album's songs as a reference.^[2]

Led by it's single and live staple "Rumors of War", Death Is This Communion would attain critical acclaim, with a current rating of 80 on Metacritic.^[3] Along with critical acclaim it would appear on numerous year-end lists including album of the year by Stonerrock.com.^[4]

Background[]

Following a new bassist joining in Jeff Matz circa 2006 and finishing the extensive touring cycle for 2005's Blessed Black Wings, High on Fire would work on their next album, eventually recording in Seattle during the Spring of 2007 with Jack Endino.^[5] Details on the album would surface through the Summer, including a single in "Rumors of War", which would also appear on a split 7" with Coliseum and Baroness^[6] and later a music video, directed by Soren.^[7] Death Is This Communion would be released in September 2007 via Relapse Records. The first vinyl pressing of the album would be released in September, followed by a second pressing on 31 October 2007.^[8] The original pressings of Death Is This Communion would actually feature the entire 56-minute album on a single LP, with subsequent pressings as gatefold 2LPs.

Death Is This Communion would also chart on the Billboard 200 for the first time, peaking at #142.^[9] Notably it'd also chart on Hard Rock Albums (#22), Independent Albums (#18), Tastemaker Albums (#10) and the Heatseekers Charts (#2).^[10] Death Is This Communion would attain positive reception. Brandon Stosuy, writing for Pitchfork, would award the album an 8.2/10 and state the following in the closing portions of the review: "In terms of Sleep -- because those terms refuse to go away-- this is High on Fire's Jerusalem. Outside of HoF's ascent, it's interesting to see Pike hit his peak just as his ex-Sleep bandmates in Om moved toward theirs with the appropriately titled Pilgrimage -- they continue chiseling into a sparer minimalist realm, while High on Fire inscribe additional accents into their crusty rock. It's rare to see such a cohesive trio split into two groups that both become so powerful, ascending at the same time with such distinct aesthetics. Here, actually, the title track's vocal lines are kinda Om-- that smearier stoner incantation slide-- but Pike and Co. otherwise continue moving deeper into their amphetamine-laced rock monster. Much less the old dope smoke. So, high on a different sort of fire. If you haven't already, make sure to inhale both.".^[11]

Death Is This Communion would also receive positive reception from the likes of Blabbermouth (8/10),^[12] Drowned in Sound (7/10),^[13] Metal Injection,^[14] San Francisco Weekly,^[15] Exclaim!^[16] and Your Last Rites.^[17]

Death Is This Communion would receive numerous end-of-year accolades:

Stonerrock.com - Top 27 Albums of 2007 (#1)^[18]
Revolver Magazine - Top Albums of 2007 (#3)
Total Guitar - 50 Best Guitar Albums of The Year (#4)
Metal Hammer - Best Albums of 2007 (#9)
Decibel Magazine - Top 40 Albums of 2007 (#9)^[19]

Tracklist[]

All songs written by High on Fire.

1. Fury Whip (6:14)
2. Waste of Tiamat (5:44)
3. Death Is This Communion (8:34)
4. Khanrad's Wall (2:27)
5. Turk (5:03)
6. Headhunter (1:24)
7. Rumors of War (2:51)
8. DII (3:45)
9. Cyclopian Scape (7:30)
10. Ethereal (6:56)
11. Return to NOD (6:18)

Personnel[]

Matt Pike - Guitar, Vocals
Des Kensel - Drums, Percussion; Backing Vocals (1)
Jeff Matz - Bass; Backing Vocals (1); Lute, 12-String Guitar (4)
Tom Matz - Mellotron (8)
Jack Endino - Engineer, Mixing, Producer
Alan Douches - Mastering
Arik Roper - Artwork
Orion Landau - Design, Additional Artwork

External Links[]

References[]

V·T·E High on Fire
Current Members	Matt Pike • Jeff Matz • Coady Willis
Past Members	George Rice • Joe Preston • Des Kensel • Nick Parks • Christopher Maggio
Studio Albums	The Art of Self Defense • Surrounded By Thieves • Blessed Black Wings • Death Is This Communion • Snakes For The Divine • De Vermis Mysteriis • Luminiferous • Electric Messiah
Extended Plays	High on Fire • Speak In Tongues • Bat Salad
Live Albums	Live From The Relapse Contamination Festival • Spitting Fire
Associated Bands, Artists, Etc.	Sleep • Kalas • Dear Deceased • Earth • Melvins • Harvey Milk • Zeke • Mutoid Man

[1] Lambgoat

[2] Revolver Magazine

[3] Metacritic

[4] Stonerrock.com via Wayback Machine

[5] Lambgoat

[6] Discogs

[7] Lambgoat

[8] Discogs

[9] Billboard

[10] Billboard

[11] Pitchfork

[12] Blabbermouth

[13] Drowned in Sound

[14] Metal Injection

[15] San Francisco Weekly

[16] Exclaim!

[17] Your Last Rites

[18] Stonerrock.com via Wayback Machine

[19] Metal News

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