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.
Fury Whip
High on Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for the ships to turn the tide
Black fiend, treachery, the numbers fall, you wear thirteen
Pray the demons cannot kill the light
Killed dead, splitting head, making sure the lion's fed
Hanging by a thread that holds your life
Pain king, suffering; walk on through the acid ring
Imprisoned but your hands are still untied
Live self destruction bad luck's your noose 2x
Sin, sex, bad intent, making sure the money's spent
Watching as your dollars turn to dimes
Death tax, broken backs, time has come to wield the axe
Paying for the check an all your crime
The fool's religion unprophet's truth
Live self destruction bad luck's your noose 2x
fury whip 4x
The lyrics for High on Fire's song "Fury Whip" depict a dark, apocalyptic landscape where chaos reigns supreme. The opening lines, "Slit throat holocaust, dark's the day of pentecost," set the tone for the rest of the song. The imagery suggests a senseless violence and destruction, akin to the horrors of genocide. The next line, "Waiting for the ships to turn the tide," suggests a sense of anticipation or hope for salvation, yet it's unclear whether this hope is misplaced or not.
The imagery becomes more specific and personal in the following verses. Lines like "Black fiend, treachery, the numbers fall, you wear thirteen" invoke feelings of paranoia and betrayal, as if the singer is constantly surrounded by enemies. The line "Making sure the lion's fed" suggests a violent struggle for survival. The constant use of violent language and imagery is an attempt to depict a world where suffering and pain are a constant reality.
The chorus, "The fool's religion unprophet's truth, live self-destruction bad luck's your noose," is a scathing indictment of a society that values greed and self-interest above all else. The repeated use of the phrase "bad luck's your noose" speaks to the idea of karma and the notion that our actions have consequences. Ultimately, "Fury Whip" is a brutal and unflinching portrayal of a world gone mad.
Line by Line Meaning
Slit throat holocaust, dark's the day of pentecost
The destruction that has been wrought is akin to a holocaust where throats have been slit. It's a dark day like the day of pentecost.
Waiting for the ships to turn the tide
They are waiting for something to happen that will change the course of things, like a ship that changes the tide.
Black fiend, treachery, the numbers fall, you wear thirteen
Deception, represented by the black fiend, is causing people to fail and lose the game, symbolized by the unlucky number thirteen.
Pray the demons cannot kill the light
Despite the dark times and the presence of demons, they are hoping and praying that the light will not be extinguished.
Killed dead, splitting head, making sure the lion's fed
They are killing people until they're certain that the lion, representing their goal, is fed and satisfied.
Hanging by a thread that holds your life
They are on the brink of death, hanging by a thread that represents the fragility of life.
Pain king, suffering; walk on through the acid ring
Despite the pain and suffering, they must persevere through a difficult task, like walking through an acidic ring.
Imprisoned but your hands are still untied
They are trapped or imprisoned, but still have the ability to move and act freely.
The fool's religion unprophet's truth
The foolish beliefs that guide some people have no basis in reality or truth.
Live self destruction bad luck's your noose 2x
Acting destructively and without care will only result in bad luck and negative consequences, symbolized by a noose around the neck.
Sin, sex, bad intent, making sure the money's spent
Indulging in vices like sin and sex with malicious intent is only a means to spend money and nothing more.
Watching as your dollars turn to dimes
Watching things of value diminish and decrease in worth, like dollars turning into dimes.
Death tax, broken backs, time has come to wield the axe
The price of death is high and they have suffered much, but now it is time to take action and make things right.
Paying for the check an all your crime
They must pay for the consequences of their actions and the cost of their crimes.
fury whip 4x
This is the chorus of the song and its repetition signifies the intensity and urgency of the situation.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind