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.
Waste of Tiamat
High on Fire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without warning, the nuclear beast shows its eyes
Chaos ramped, the cult of the severed head rise
Among the ashes, could not foresee strength or size
Haunting screaming, gone in a flash of our eyes
Priestly being meant nothing more than their guise
Fallen angels, light up the sky with demise
Blackened hydra makes way as dark men conspire
Armageddon, the heavens and hell will collide
Cometh conqueror, black death is alloted its time
Princely power, to walk through this blood is divine
The lyrics to “Waste of Tiamat” are a depiction of a post-apocalyptic world, in which the end of the world has arrived suddenly and without warning, leaving nothing but chaos and destruction in its wake. The first line, “Twisting, falling, like eagles they drop from the sky”, describes the sudden loss of life caused by the event, perhaps suggesting that it was a nuclear attack. “Chaos ramped, the cult of the severed head rise” paints a grisly image of a cult that has emerged in the aftermath of the disaster, perhaps taking advantage of the chaos to seize power.
The use of religious imagery and language is also present in the lyrics, with phrases such as “priestly being” and “princely power”. This imagery is used to emphasize the gravity and scale of the event, as well as to underscore the idea that this may be perceived as an apocalyptic event. Finally, the last line “Cometh conqueror, black death is allotted its time” suggests that this event was inevitable and maybe even predicted, adding to the overall theme of the song.
Overall, the lyrics paint a vivid and unsettling picture of the end of the world, highlighting the terror and destruction that it could bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Twisting, falling, like eagles they drop from the sky
Enemies are plunging from the sky with great force
Without warning, the nuclear beast shows its eyes
An unexpected and destructive force reveals itself
Chaos ramped, the cult of the severed head rise
Amidst the turmoil, a cult with shocking beliefs rises up
Among the ashes, could not foresee strength or size
The aftermath is far greater in scope and impact than anticipated
Haunting screaming, gone in a flash of our eyes
The terror of the situation is fleeting, yet leaves a lasting impact
Priestly being meant nothing more than their guise
The people in power are not as virtuous as they seem
Fallen angels, light up the sky with demise
The fall of prominent figures is a destructive spectacle
Blackened hydra makes way as dark men conspire
A powerful and multifaceted force is at play, with evil intentions
Demons swarming, attacking the few who survive
Even those who manage to survive face relentless onslaughts
Armageddon, the heavens and hell will collide
A catastrophic and apocalyptic conflict is underway
Cometh conqueror, black death is alloted its time
A ruler of great power and darkness is destined to arise
Princely power, to walk through this blood is divine
Only a select few possess the strength and authority to emerge victorious from this bloodshed
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Frank Nardiello, Marston Daley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind