High On Fire – Cometh The Storm
Release Date: 19th April 2024
Label: MNRK Heavy
Bandcamp
Genre: Doom, Stoner, Sludge.
FFO: Sleep, YOB, Mastodon.
Review By: Hillary Wisniewski
I don’t know about you all, but I was getting a bit antsy for something new from High on Fire; after all, it was back in 2018 when we were gifted with new material when they released Electric Messiah. As the old saying goes, “good things come to those who wait” and that is the case for Cometh the Storm. We all know what to expect from riff lord Matt Pike as well as the highly skilled Jeff Matz on bass, but who could match their intensity on drums? Well, none other than one of my all-time favourite drummers, Coady Willis (Murder City Devils, Big Business, Melvins). Hot damn, what a line-up!
Musically speaking, this album has everything that one would expect from High on Fire; if anything, Cometh the Storm achieves a balance of what makes them such a fantastic act while also showing that creatively they are able to incorporate some different elements into their sound. Does that mean they are getting wildly experimental? No. They are staying true to their roots, but they aren’t stuck there. Matt Pike has a certain flair for writing riffs that are big, aggressive, and a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. His gravely, snarling vocals spit forth fire and lyrically this album fits the complicated time we are living in. Pike’s creativity wouldn’t have the same sort of punch without a stellar rhythm section. Matz is the perfect person to accompany Pike; they have a synergy that is likely the envy of some of their peers. One of the most wonderful elements of this work comes from Matz exploring Turkish and Middle Eastern music and learning how to play the bağlama. Incorporating these sounds on various tracks gives a depth to the music and helps to set it apart from some earlier works. Willis is a beast of a drummer (do yourself a favour and see him live) and can keep up with the breakneck pace and heavy sounds with ease. The band worked with producer Kurt Ballou (Converge) at GodCity Studio, so that rounded everything out nicely. Can we all just agree that really anything Ballou touches is gold? I think we can.
Overall, this is a solid album and should be well enjoyed by old and new fans alike. There is no way you are going to listen to it and not know it is High on Fire, but there are enough new elements thrown in the mix to keep things interesting. My hope is that this current line up continues, but if anything I am glad it at least happened for Cometh the Storm; it is definitely a winning combination in my opinion. 
(5 / 5)
