Five years in and showing no signs of slowing down, Germany's High Fighter is one of European metal's best kept secrets. Their 2016 debut Scars and Crosses was and still is a masterful take on stoner metal, simply because it doesn't fit the mold that so many bands follow. Sure, there are down-tuned grooves aplenty and the riffs are front and center, but it's really vocalist Mona Miluski's juxtaposition between harsh screams and raspy croons that puts High Fighter in a category all their own. After a three year wait, the band's sophomore album Champain is here and certain to keep that momentum going. We have the exclusive full album stream below.
One of the greatest parts of Champain is the journey it takes the listener on. While most doom bands are content sticking within the confines of their wheelhouse, High Fighter isn't afraid to venture into the more extreme side of things to add a little more mood and atmosphere to their style. Some of the tracks toe the line between black metal and classic heavy metal, while most of them contain high-energy sing alongs that wouldn't feel out of place on any of Royal Thunder's most recent output. Even so, they remain a stoner band at heart, and Champain offers the same psyched-out respite that this timeless subgenre of metal provides to those seeking a temporary escape from reality.
Champain drops this Friday, July 26 via Argonauta Records, and can be pre-ordered here: www.argonautarecords.com/shop. Also, if you're one of our European readers, be sure to catch them live at one of the following dates:
HIGH FIGHTER LIVE:
03.08. DE – Gößnitz Open Air
08.08. PT – SonicBlast Moledo
18.10. DE – Metal Inferno Paderborn
w/ Dopethrone:
11.08. DE – Mannheim / 7er Club
12.08. DE – Dresden / Chemiefabrik
13.08. DE – Berlin / Zukunft am Ostkreuz
14.08. DE – Hamburg / Hafenklang
15.08. DE – Wiesbaden / Schlachthof
16.08. FR – Colmar / Le Grillen
