The Oakland, California band formed in 1998 and released 'The Art of Self Defense' on Man's Ruin Records, in March 2000. After Man's Ruin Records folded, the album was re-released via Tee-Pee Records on CD and vinyl with new artwork and two bonus tracks: Steel Shoe (an original) and The Ursurper (Celtic Frost).
Following, the band signed with Relapse Records and released 'Surrounded by Thieves' in 2002, with production help from Billy Anderson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Anderson_%28music%29). Founding member and bass player George Rice, would leave the band shortly before recording the next album.
In 2004, Relapse and Throne Records released the 'Live from the Contamination Festival' CD and LP (respectively) which was recorded in Philadelphia, PA. The CD is limited to 2000 copies and the LP only 1000.
'Blessed Black Wings', produced by Steve Albini, was released in early 2005, and was their first and only to feature Joe Preston (Earth, Melvins, Thrones) on bass. The vinyl version as well as the Japanese CD version of this album had the Judas Priest song Rapid Fire as a bonus track.
In early 2006, Joe Preston left the band and was replaced by Jeff Matz of Zeke. High On Fire then went on to release the Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden) produced and recorded album, 'Death is This Communion,' in September 2007. To celebrate this release, and the start of their tour for the album, the band played a free show at San Francsico's Amoeba records.
The band released their fifth full-length album Snakes For The Divine in February 2010 through E1 music. The album was produced by Greg Fidelman and stripped away much of the acoustic textures and layering of the previous album, leaving a monolithic heavy sound to the record.
On April 3rd, 2012, High on Fire released their sixth studio album, De Vermis Mysteriis.
Anointing of Seer
High on Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gaze in her eyes, sacred and wise, prophecy
Lost in her trance, in her eyes the flames dance, foreboding
Truth of her days, black endless rays, shows the skryer
Damsel in chains, for love the bard reigns, destroyer
Skills surpass strength, towers that quake, song of doom
Unsinkable stars, bring powers at large, the day they mote
Come to me champion your life has been sieged in me
Calling from distances yearning to be set free
The lyrics to High on Fire's song "Anointing of Seer" speak of a seer, or prophetess, who possesses great power and wisdom. She is able to see the future and forewarns of impending doom. The lyrics suggest that the seer’s power may have come at a great cost, as she is described as being lost in her own trance and surrounded by flames. Despite the foreboding atmosphere, the seer is revered and respected as a sacred figure.
The lyrics shift to describe a bard who is imprisoned, and whose strength lies not in physical might but in his music. He possesses the ability to shake towers with his songs of doom. The unsinkable stars can bring great power and have the potential to free even those in chains. The lyrics suggest that the seer and the bard are connected in some way, possibly through their ability to foretell the future.
The final verse seems to be a call to a champion, who has been besieged by something and yearns to be set free. The meaning of this final verse remains open to interpretation, but it could be seen as a call to action, urging the champion to rise up and fight against whatever is oppressing them.
Overall, the song's lyrics celebrate the power of prophecy and the ability to see and prepare for the future. They suggest that even in the face of impending doom, there is hope and the potential for redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
Onward the seer, glass ships of fear, marauder's path
The seer moves forward fearlessly, despite the fear around her, on a path of conquest.
Gaze in her eyes, sacred and wise, prophecy
Her wise and revered gaze has prophetic power.
Lost in her trance, in her eyes the flames dance, foreboding
She gets lost in a trance, and her eyes spark with ominous flames.
Truth of her days, black endless rays, shows the skryer
The seer's days reveal never-ending darkness, as shown to the scryer.
Damsel in chains, for love the bard reigns, destroyer
A woman is imprisoned, but the poet rules with destruction and love.
Skills surpass strength, towers that quake, song of doom
Abilities overcome physical strength, as the bard's song brings about destructive consequences.
Unsinkable stars, bring powers at large, the day they mote
The stars that never sink bring about great power when they align.
The shaking of teir, sonic psalm terrors, chains are freed
When the sound shakes and terrifies, the chains of oppression are broken.
Come to me champion your life has been sieged in me
The seer beckons the champion, whose life has been surrounded and impacted by her power.
Calling from distances yearning to be set free
Her call echoes across distances, yearning for release.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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