High on Fire is a metal band originally formed from the remnants of the leg… Read Full Bio ↴High on Fire is a metal band originally formed from the remnants of the legendary stoner band Sleep. Matt Pike, from Sleep, sings and plays guitar in High on Fire and founded the band with George Rice (bass) and Des Kensel (drums), formerly of Connecticut hardcore band Mindwar. High on Fire's sound is extremely heavy, drawing influences from the aforementioned Sleep, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, & Celtic Frost.

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.

Rapid Fire
High on Fire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Pounding the world like a battering ram
Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done
Leaving a trail of destruction that's second to none

Hammering anvils straining muscle and might
Shattering blows crashing browbeating fright
Fast devastating and desolisating the curse

Blasting the cannons of truth through each man of this earth

Wielding the axe comes the one culmination
That's always seemed certain to bring down the curtain on greed

Sifting the good from the bad it's the age for the rage
Of the dogs which must fall to the just and be free

Now grate for the vandals who trampled and sampled
Till this place conditioned brought forth demolition to war

The slipping and sliding corrosive subsiding
That withered and wained till the world seemed all drained fills the bay

Pounding the world like a battering ram
Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done

Leaving a trail of destruction that's second to none
Second to none

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Rapid Fire" by High on Fire start with the metaphor of "pounding the world like a battering ram." This symbolizes a forceful, powerful energy that's overwhelming and exerting its authority over everything in its path. The next line "Forging the furnace for the final grand slam" is a continuation of the metaphor. This is a call to action, urging people to come together and create something great that will resonate with everyone for years to come.

The chorus is a repetition of the first two lines, lending more weight to the metaphor of "pounding the world." The next verse, "Hammering anvils straining muscle and might" reinforces the feeling of power and strength, underscoring the idea that no obstacle can stand in the way of the one who wields the hammer. The lyrics also suggest that this force is moving quickly, causing "fast devastating and desolating the curse."

The final verse urges listeners to "sift the good from the bad." This emphasizes the importance of differentiation, a crucial step in creating a better world that's free of greed and corruption. The metaphorical imagery of the song, combined with its powerful lyrics, make it a potent call to action for its listeners.

Line by Line Meaning

Pounding the world like a battering ram
They are aggressively attacking the world, likening themselves to a powerful weapon

Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Preparing for their ultimate victory in a way similar to a blacksmith forging a weapon

Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done
They are methodically working towards achieving their goal and will soon be finished

Leaving a trail of destruction that's second to none
Their attacks are leaving behind massive devastation that surpasses any other

Hammering anvils straining muscle and might
They are working hard and with great force in order to achieve their goals

Shattering blows crashing browbeating fright
Their attacks are powerful and devastating, causing fear in their opposition

Fast devastating and desolisating the curse
They are quickly and effectively destroying the problem at hand

Blasting the cannons of truth through each man of this earth
They are spreading their message of truth to everyone on earth

Wielding the axe comes the one culmination
They have been working hard and are finally reaching the point where they will achieve their ultimate goal

That's always seemed certain to bring down the curtain on greed
Their goal is to eliminate greed, which they view as a pervasive problem

Sifting the good from the bad it's the age for the rage
They are separating the positive from the negative and believe that it is time to be angry about the issues at hand

Of the dogs which must fall to the just and be free
They view those who perpetuate negative ideas as dogs who must be eliminated in order for justice to prevail and for people to be free

Now grate for the vandals who trampled and sampled
They are calling out those who have caused damage and chaos

Till this place conditioned brought forth demolition to war
They see this as a necessary step in the destruction of negative forces, leading to war

The slipping and sliding corrosive subsiding
The negative forces are gradually fading away

That withered and wained till the world seemed all drained fills the bay
The negative forces are gradually fading away until they are completely gone

Pounding the world like a battering ram
They are aggressively attacking the world, likening themselves to a powerful weapon

Forging the furnace for the final grand slam
Preparing for their ultimate victory in a way similar to a blacksmith forging a weapon

Chopping away at the source soon the course will be done
They are methodically working towards achieving their goal and will soon be finished

Leaving a trail of destruction that's second to none
Their attacks are leaving behind massive devastation that surpasses any other

Second to none
Their destructive power and ability to achieve their goals are unparalleled

Contributed by Cole I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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