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.
Bastard Samurai
High on Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dressed to kill and think again
Count my fingers nine
Do the math your sacrifice
Son of a bitch should bleed awhile
Fighting under style
Sleeping under death awhile
Sharpening my blade to sting
Son of a bitch your fate I'll bring
Profit melee are all mesmerized
All betray the bastard samurai
Profit melee on this killing floor
All betray the bastard samurai
Bastard samurai
Bastard samurai
The killer I've become
Tattoo heart yakuza's thumb
Killing men aside
Severed heads abide
Son of a bitch should bleed awhile
Bastard samurai
Bastard samurai
Count my fingers ten
Dressed to kill and think again
Count my fingers nine
The lyrics to High on Fire's "Bastard Samurai" depict a fierce warrior who refers to himself as the "son of a bitch." The first verse seems to allude to the warrior counting his fingers before and after battle - almost as if to make sure he's still alive. He then urges whoever he's fighting to "do the math" and "sacrifice" themselves, showing how confident he is in his own skills. This confidence is further emphasized in the second verse when he talks about "sleeping under death awhile," as if he's comfortable with the idea of dying in battle.
The chorus highlights the warrior's sense of betrayal by those around him, particularly the "profit melee." This seems to be a reference to the mercenary or hired-gun world he operates in. The repetition of "Bastard Samurai" throughout the song emphasizes the warrior's self-identity as being both an outcast and a skilled fighter. The lyrics towards the end of the song suggest that the warrior has fully embraced the violent, deadly world he lives in, as he describes himself as a "killer" with "severed heads abide."
Line by Line Meaning
Count my fingers ten
The singer is counting their fingers, indicating a sense of control and focus.
Dressed to kill and think again
The singer is dressed for a fight and must strategize before taking action.
Count my fingers nine
The singer is counting again, suggesting they are worried about something or reconsidering their options.
Do the math your sacrifice
The artist is telling someone to consider the potential costs of their actions.
Son of a bitch should bleed awhile
The artist wants their enemy to suffer before dying.
Fighting under style
The singer is skilled in fighting and has a distinct style.
Sleeping under death awhile
The singer is comfortable with the idea of death and often faces it.
Gladiators ring
The artist is fighting in an arena, possibly for sport or entertainment.
Sharpening my blade to sting
The artist is preparing their weapon to deliver a fatal blow.
Son of a bitch your fate I'll bring
The artist is confident in their victory over their enemy.
Profit melee are all mesmerized
People are attracted to violence and enjoy watching the singer fight.
All betray the bastard samurai
Despite being entertained by the artist, people will turn on them for being a killer.
Profit melee on this killing floor
The arena where the singer is fighting is filled with people who enjoy watching death and mayhem.
Bastard samurai
The singer is embracing their identity as a dishonored warrior.
The killer I've become
The singer has fully transitioned into their role as a murderer.
Tattoo heart yakuza's thumb
The artist has a tattoo of a heart and the thumb of a Yakuza member, suggesting they are part of a criminal organization or underworld society.
Killing men aside
The artist is used to killing and has become desensitized to it.
Severed heads abide
The singer has killed people and left their severed heads as proof of their power.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
smbeabout
I have to say, Matt Pike definitely has a knack for preceding absurdly heavy riffs with absurdly heavy screams. I love it.
Dan Flory
Wheres this band been all my life? Helps me from missing motorhead.
Slugmind
In one of the interviews with Pike, he said that High On Fire was a small band. If he only knew how big they truly are... but then again, maybe it's because of his humbleness that they're that awesome. HoF is definitely a buried diamond.
Henry Griffen
Great workout song,,one of the best metal songs ever recorded
mondoraptor
the power of the riff compells you!
Samuel Wetz
@Henry Griffen those are 2 powers are too much power!! But I would love it 😉
Henry Griffen
BOWER POWER,,whoops sorry,,PIKE POWER
Russell Mcgurn
Only one "L" man. Sorry but you triggered my OCD.
roseagainst
The solo at 4:15 is one of the baddest I've heard in a long time.
minimalsubliminal
This song is pure greatness . . . just heard it a couple of days ago, for the first time. Fuckin’ wow!