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.
Fireface
High on Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wandered dark wilderness, ravens have gathered my ways
Holy man, vision quest, dancing dawn reflects his gaze
Return to the clan with the scalps of the men who betrayed
Medicine man has concocted a potion to see
Animal spirits have filled me and leads what's to be
Running wolf, eagle eyes, blood running cold in my veins
To be rising chief I have traveled a hundred fold days
Wandered dark wilderness ravens have gathered my ways
Look in my eyes your demise is what is fueling my rage
For I am the one whom by others is called Fire Face
The song Fireface by High on Fire paints the picture of a powerful figure, a rising chief who has gone through great lengths to claim his place. He has traveled for a hundred days, through the dark wilderness, with ravens as his companions. In the midst of his journey, he underwent a holy man's vision quest, who granted him animal spirits - the running wolf and eagle eyes. His blood, now cold with determination, reflects the dancing dawn that meets his gaze.
Upon his return to his clan, he comes bearing the scalps of those who had betrayed him. The medicine man had conjured a potion to help the rising chief become one with the animal spirits and see what's to be. The Great Spirit laughs as his enemies run from the new chief's reign. The lyrics reveal that the people's demise fuels the chief's rage, and he is now known by others as Fire Face - a powerful and almost uncontrollable being.
The lyrics of Fireface are a blend of lyrics that paint a visceral picture of an indomitable figure and leave room for interpretation. The references to animal spirits and a vision quest reflect the deep connection with nature that Native American tribes possess. The lyrics also reveal the violent nature of tribal societies, where the scalping of traitors was somewhat commonplace. The song's tone is undoubtedly dark and heavy, in keeping with High on Fire's overall genre of music.
Line by Line Meaning
To be rising chief I have traveled a hundred fold days
I have journeyed far and wide to become a leader
Wandered dark wilderness, ravens have gathered my ways
I have had to traverse dark and difficult terrain with only the company of birds
Holy man, vision quest, dancing dawn reflects his gaze
I have received guidance from a wise man, through a revelatory experience at sunrise
Return to the clan with the scalps of the men who betrayed
I have defeated those who have wronged me and brought their heads back to my people
Medicine man has concocted a potion to see
I have been given a special concoction by a shaman that grants vision
Animal spirits have filled me and leads what's to be
I have been possessed and guided by animal spirits
Running wolf, eagle eyes, blood running cold in my veins
I possess the characteristics of a fierce wolf and an eagle, and my veins run with the blood of my enemies
Great Spirit laughs as my enemies run from my reign
The divine is pleased as those who oppose me flee from my power
Look in my eyes your demise is what is fueling my rage
I am fueled by the anticipation of your defeat, which I see in your eyes
For I am the one whom by others is called Fire Face
I am known to others as Fire Face and I embody the fiery spirit of victory
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sean M.F.
To be rising chief I have traveled a hundred fold days
Wandered dark wilderness, ravens have gathered my ways
Holy man, vision quest, dancing dawn reflects his gaze
Return to the clan with the scalps of the men who betrayed
Medicine Man has concocted a potion to see
Animal Spirits have filled me and leads what's to be
Runningwolf, eagle eyes, blood running cold in my veins
Great Spirit laughs as my enemies run from my reign
To be rising chief I have traveled a hundred fold days
Wandered dark wilderness ravens have gathered my ways
Look in my eyes your demise is what is fueling my rage
For I am the one whom by others is called Fire Face
Sean M.F.
To be rising chief I have traveled a hundred fold days
Wandered dark wilderness, ravens have gathered my ways
Holy man, vision quest, dancing dawn reflects his gaze
Return to the clan with the scalps of the men who betrayed
Medicine Man has concocted a potion to see
Animal Spirits have filled me and leads what's to be
Runningwolf, eagle eyes, blood running cold in my veins
Great Spirit laughs as my enemies run from my reign
To be rising chief I have traveled a hundred fold days
Wandered dark wilderness ravens have gathered my ways
Look in my eyes your demise is what is fueling my rage
For I am the one whom by others is called Fire Face
Jah Man
Lyrics for the descendants of the great Berserkers
Anthony Ridge
By far my favorite HOF song ever! Such a shame they didnt/and dont do stuff similar to this. This is just fucking EPIC! And honestly it seems like hes actually, at least trying to sing. The mix is great too because the vocals are lower, IMO. Almost reminds me of Thin Lizzy's 'The Emerald'.
B M
Word
Ophiophagus
So heavy
Welfare Crusader
I like HoF better when the vocals are further back in the mix and the riffs take center stage
Rts
Not enough people know...spread the music people!
B M
I don't understand why they are so unknown to most people. Their lyrics are beyond Metallica, Megadeth, etc...
Absolutely one of the best metal bands ever.
Robert Herberg
The weirdest and best album of all time.
Earthdemon126
Great song. My only complaint is the outro is a tad too long. Would be perfect if it was about a minute shorter.