High on Fire – Luminiferous: A Dusty Highway to Carcosa
High on Fire – Luminiferous
A Dusty Highway to Carcosa
Luminiferous is a desert rock album that evokes the
feeling of driving along the dusty roads of a wasteland; much like Mad Max. But
there's something more. Luminiferous isn't just a rock album. This
wasteland isn't merely barren heathland; it's radioactive. That radioactive
energy mutates Luminiferous into a metal album.
The belching guitar tone disrupts the atmosphere, and the
demanding drumming triggers nuclear explosions. The thick, dirty bass melts
into your skin, while the sharp, raw production prickles your lungs. The only
fresh breath you can take is under acid rain. The ground becomes unliveable, at
least for mankind, while a radiation-addicted reptilian race pays a visit to
mighty Earth.
Corruption became the Achilles heel of society and the
willpower of humanity collapsed under the weight of its cure. Salvation
clobbered their sanity and flung them into chaos, leaving them in tatters.
Ancient deities, present conquerors, and holy pyre architects; the reptilians
have scorched this Earth.
In this desolate, post-apocalyptic land of dust and blood
where malpractices are rife, The Lethal Chamber is a monumental final
track, sealing the ballsiness of the band. Within its rumbling framework, Matt
Pike cuts loose with his nonstop, heavy riffing. In perfect harmony with this,
the track encompasses an apocalyptic view that mankind must face and displays
fully the weight of its imminent destruction.
Right from the start, mercilessly evil tracks such as The
Black Plot explore the theme of reptilian rulers-an idea within one of
these long-running conspiratorial concepts. That reflects Matt Pike's interests
in conspiracy theories and dark, underhanded schemes. This feeds the whole
record's sense of gloomy paranoia.
Another novel updating comes with the focus on melody. On The
Falconist, they cruise through the canyon bottoms, discovering new
essences. The band's newest focus on melody-particularly the surprisingly
melodic vocals-adds depth without betraying their signature heaviness.
They searched for deliverance in pursuit of luminance across
flat horizons to no avail. But the struggles within did them in. Self-inflicted
wounds eroded them, but it was the romance in splinters that delivered the
finishing touch. They retreated into their caves, as if that could fix anything
that went wrong. The lack of enthusiasm spoke volumes of just how much of a
lost cause they had come to be.
On the track The Cave, Jeff Matz proves himself loyal
to microtonal music while Matt Pike pours his heart out in lyrics about
impossible love. This chemistry between them increases the track's dynamics,
making the music more emphatic and painfully relatable.
The wasteland outside was a reflection of the ruins within.
Poor, sorrowful mankind. This place has become a lethal chamber. The only mercy
is that there is no pain. If there is one thing that remaineth, it is the
gravestones—silent witnesses to a world that once was. And amidst the silence,
Luminiferous roars as another fucking loud, bad-ass masterpiece—elevating High
on Fire's sound to new heights while reiterating their reign as sludge giants.
Standouts: The Sunless Years, The Cave, Luminiferous, The Lethal Chamber
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