High on Fire's Matt Pike is one of metal's most idiosyncratic guitarists. Much of his style probably comes from necessity. As the singer and only guitarist in a trio, he must both fill space and preserve it. Thus, Pike mostly avoids single-note picking in favor of strumming power chords. His use of palm-muting is light, so his playing isn't percussive so much as textural. The effect is like black metal; minus the drums, the guitar doesn't attack, but engulfs.
Yet High on Fire very much attack. This is due to drummer Des Kensel, one of metal's hardest hitters. While Pike strums away, Kensel provides the pulse underneath. Thrash and d-beats cannonade from his kit with force and precision, punctuated by the band's trademark three-over-two accents. In the middle is distorted bass, High on Fire's revolving door. Here, Zeke's Jeff Matz fills the role with perfect synchronicity.
Death Is This Communion outs Kensel as the band's not-so-secret weapon. He gets his own tribal-flavored interlude ("Headhunter"), and the production highlights his playing. On previous record Blessed Black Wings, Steve Albini's warm, natural production made the drums sound booming. Here, famed Seattle grunge producer Jack Endino's knob-twiddling yields tighter, more streamlined sound. The punchier percussion makes this High on Fire's hardest-hitting record.
It's also the band's most diverse one, thanks to majestic, Middle Eastern-sounding acoustic passages. Pike's voice is stronger than ever, so now he sings actual lines. This makes for actual songs. Before, the band sometimes slipped into stylistic autopilot, paying homage to Motörhead, Black Sabbath, and Slayer. With memorable melodies now, High on Fire have fully synthesized their influences. These horsemen may only be three, but they're plenty apocalyptic.
8/10
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