High on Fire (EP)

High on Fire (EP)
Extended play by High on Fire
Released	August 14 1999
Recorded	3 March 1999 at Sharkbite Studio in Oakland, California
Genre	Stoner Metal, Doom Metal
Length	27:41
Label	12th Records
Producer	High on Fire, Matt Forina
High on Fire chronology
Debut Release (N/A)	High on Fire (EP) (1999)	The Art of Self Defense (2000)

High on Fire is the eponymous debut EP by High on Fire. It would be released via independent label 12th Records in the Fall of 1999 in what would be that label's earliest known release. Notably the EP has been praised by fans for it's drastically different mix than on the band's debut The Art of Self Defense, which featured re-recorded versions of all three songs of the demo.

The first edition of the CD was specifically released for the inaugural Stoner Hands of Doom which took place in Virginia and Maryland (Although the CD lists "STONER ROCK DOOM FESTIVAL" in Washington D.C.). The same initial edition would also feature a Matamp advert. A second edition of the CD would be produced by 12th Records that same year with layout, song titles and proper credits.

Not long after the EP's release the band would sign with Man's Ruin Records for their debut album, in which all three songs would be re-recorded for their debut The Art of Self Defense. The full demo would be included in the 2012 Southern Lord Records re-issue of The Art of Self Defense.

Notably the band's first EP would be recorded in a single night for free via Sharkbite intern Matt Forina, in a deal worked out by drummer Des Kensel, as stated in an interview conducted with Echoes and Dust:

“	"I remember doing our first 3 song demo at a studio in Oakland called Sharkbite. My friend Matt Farina was working as an intern there. I worked out a deal with him that if he let us come in the middle of the night to track when no one else was there and didn’t charge us, I’d let him engineer the demo. He wanted the experience and we wanted the free demo. So one evening we loaded our gear up and then went to the recording studio. We loaded in pretty late and tracked until 6 or 7am the next morning. I was working in the warehouse of a delivery company at the time and had to be at work at 7:30am. Unfortunately to keep the midnight oil going we had our normal case or so of beer and also some Jägermeister. Since we were there till the sun came up, I had to go straight to work from the studio. At this point I was pretty intoxicated and knew I should not be at work. So after clocking in and helping load some of the trucks, I decided I’m not going to work anymore for the day and proceeded to blow off the fire extinguisher in the warehouse and get that white dust all over everything. I have no idea why I did that, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. I then go in the side alley and tried to get some sleep in one of the work vans but I couldn’t sleep, I was still pumped from the Jäger and the adrenaline from tracking our first demo. I then decided I should just go home so I started to walk to the train station. On the way to the train station, I met some drunk, homeless Hispanic guy who thought I was some sort of angel and I ended up hanging out with him under an overpass in an alley. I couldn’t understand a word he said because he was wasted and was speaking Spanish but I didn’t care. I was just happy because he was happy that an angel had stopped to hang out with him. Oddly enough, I did not get fired?"	”
	— Des Kensel, Echoes and Dust

Tracklist

High On Fire - 3 Song EP (pre-AOSD 1999)

All songs written by High on Fire except where noted.

• 1. Blood From Zion (5:02) (High on Fire, Karl Larson)
• 2. 10,000 Years (7:35)
• 3. Master of Fists (10:29)

Personnel

• Matt Pike - Guitar, Vocals
• Des Kensel - Drums
• George Rice - Bass
• Matt Forina - Engineer, Producer
• Joel Wheeler - Design, Artwork
• Brandon Delauney - Design, Artwork

External Links

• / Discogs