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.
To Cross the Bridge
High on Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quest and saga snares the batterer
Fallen victim taken capture, wheel of pain
Gives strength to unmastered
Chained and shackled, earthen toil
Made to serve the whips and lashes
Quench your thirst and drink this bottle
Laying the steps upon the mountain
Open gates reveal the temple
Quench your thirst and drink this bottle
The warrior's chains are self inflicted
Mirrored armor reflects squalor
A day will come when I will conquer
Take your stand and cross my line
The eye Aleph has seen my kind
The song, "To Cross the Bridge" by High on Fire, is a tale of a wandering warlord who has fallen victim and been taken captive. He now serves his captors through earthen toil, making him feel like he is chained and shackled. The lyrics mention a wheel of pain that actually gives strength to those who are unmastered. This could be interpreted as a type of punishment or torture mechanism that is used on captives to make them stronger and more useful to their captors.
The warlord is depicted as constantly seeking quests and sagas, which is what led to his capture in the first place. Interestingly, the lyrics mention that the warrior's chains are self-inflicted, suggesting that this is a voluntary or self-imposed state of captivity. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for addiction or personal struggles that hold us back from achieving our full potential.
The lyrics also mention the concept of laying steps upon a mountain and crossing the bridge, which could be interpreted as overcoming obstacles and challenges to achieve success. The mirrored armor reflecting squalor symbolizes the warlord's current state of captivity, but he is confident that one day he will conquer and take back his freedom.
Overall, "To Cross the Bridge" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that explores themes of captivity, resilience, and overcoming adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Wandering warlord, tales of horror
A warrior who travels aimlessly, leaving behind stories of terror
Quest and saga snares the batterer
Journeys and heroic tales trap the fighter
Fallen victim taken capture, wheel of pain
When defeated and captured, the burden of torture empowers
Gives strength to unmastered
Provides power to those who haven't yet achieved full control
Chained and shackled, earthen toil
Enslaved and subjected to hard labor
Made to serve the whips and lashes
Compelled to obey and endure punishment
Quench your thirst and drink this bottle
Satisfy your need and consume this substance
Warrior's chains are self inflicted
The constraints placed upon us are often our own doing
Laying the steps upon the mountain
Constructing a path up a high place
Open gates reveal the temple
Entering a sacred place after passing through a portal
Mirrored armor reflects squalor
Reflective armor shows the ugliness and filth of a situation
A day will come when I will conquer
There will eventually arise a moment of triumph
Take your stand and cross my line
Step up and challenge me in combat
The eye Aleph has seen my kind
The Aleph symbol, representing a divine consciousness, has observed my type
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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