High on Fire – Snakes for the Divine – Review

highonfire200High on Fire

Snakes for the Divine (E1)
By Mike Delano

The lost art of the “short” album is alive and well with High on Fire. In the face of today’s prevalent “quantity=value” mindset, Snakes for the Divine‘s eight tracks conjure up fuzzy metal memories of classic Maiden, Sabbath, and Priest albums. Compact, calculated, and built to withstand endless revisits, the album even recalls some of the greats: The title track will have you holding on for life as it barrels down the runway à la “Aces High;” the intense highs and lows of the constantly shifting “How Dark We Pray” has range similar to “Victim of Changes;” and it’s as easy to get lost in the doom adventure “Bastard Samurai” as it is in The Stooges’ “Dirt.” Forget paeans to the past, though: When frontman Matt Pike starts coming unhinged as he roars in your ear about the “Frost Hammer,” you’ll realize right quick that you’re in the here and now.
(www.entertainmentone.com)