High on Fire -- Cleveland, OH -- December 4th, 2012

[petrovar]

Venue: Grog Shop
Source: Me


I got to the Grog around 8:15. Just in time to grab a beer and catch Forged in Flame. They are an awesome local band with a singer whom I am passing acquaintances with. They had a new guitar player who had only be there about two weeks. With such short notice to prep for this show, their performance was great.

After them, I went to check out the merch. High on Fire had a lot of new shirt/hoodie designs. All t-shirts were $15, hoodies were $30, signed tour poster was $15, ashtray, coozie and sticker pack were $5 each and they had vinyl for $25 and CDs for $20. The best design of the night was a big picture of Richard Pryor that said High on Fire below (High on Pryor, get it? haha). The design was on a shirt and coozie, so I picked up both. Very clever, funny idea. The hoodie was sweet too, but I didn't want to spend any more cash. It was kinda of a smokey gray and red script of the band name.

Next up was Lo-Pan from Columbus. They were all right. The singer sounded like they just picked him up off the street. The band was tight though. Basically your standard stoner rock band.

After them was Goatwhore. Not a fan, I'll move on.

FINALLY High on Fire took the stage around 11:20. I haven't seen them since they opened for Mastodon and Dethklok over three years ago. I missed out on getting to see them on the Snakes touring cycle two years ago.

With Pike being sober now, I was curious to see if his performance would change at all. Short answer...nope. He still murders it! They busted out an intense hour and 15 minute set. Dez and Jeff were fierce all night long.

Serums of Liao
Frost Hammer
10,000 Years
Devilution
Last
Fertile Green
Speedwolf
Rumors of War
DII
Fury Whip
Madness of an Architect
Snakes for the Divine

The highlight for me was Speedwolf by far, just because it's my favorite and I've never seen them play it live. Pits kept popping up at random during the whole set. Devilution and Rumors of War were the most intense.

[dcmetal108]

Originally Posted by petrovar

Venue: Grog Shop
Source: Me


I got to the Grog around 8:15. Just in time to grab a beer and catch Forged in Flame. They are an awesome local band with a singer whom I am passing acquaintances with. They had a new guitar player who had only be there about two weeks. With such short notice to prep for this show, their performance was great.

After them, I went to check out the merch. High on Fire had a lot of new shirt/hoodie designs. All t-shirts were $15, hoodies were $30, signed tour poster was $15, ashtray, coozie and sticker pack were $5 each and they had vinyl for $25 and CDs for $20. The best design of the night was a big picture of Richard Pryor that said High on Fire below (High on Pryor, get it? haha). The design was on a shirt and coozie, so I picked up both. Very clever, funny idea. The hoodie was sweet too, but I didn't want to spend any more cash. It was kinda of a smokey gray and red script of the band name.

Next up was Lo-Pan from Columbus. They were all right. The singer sounded like they just picked him up off the street. The band was tight though. Basically a stoner rock band.

After them was Goatwhore. Not a fan, I'll move on.

FINALLY High on Fire took the stage around 11:20. I haven't seen them since they opened for Mastodon and Dethklok over three years ago. I missed out on getting to see them on the Snakes touring cycle two years ago.

With Pike being sober now, I was curious to see if his performance would change at all. Short answer...nope. He still murders it! They busted out an intense hour and 15 minute set. Dez and Jeff were fierce all night long.

Serums of Liao
Frost Hammer
10,000 Years
Devilution
Last
Fertile Green
Speedwolf
Rumors of War
DII
Fury Whip
Madness of an Architect
Snakes for the Divine

The highlight for me was Speedwolf by far, just because it's my favorite and I've never seen them play it live. Pits kept popping up at random during the whole set. Devilution and Rumors of War were the most intense.

WHAT!

[petrovar]

Originally Posted by dcmetal108

WHAT!

Hahaha...yeah. I'm just over the cheesy satanic lyrics/imagery of some bands. Bands like Slayer, Venom, etc. I still like because I grew up with them, but Goatwhore, some of the newer satanic black metal bands don't do anything for me. I can't get into them now

[Natrlhi]

Where do I begin?

First off, fuck you for being able to go to this when I couldn't.

Second, nice set. Fuck you for that as well. I would love to see / hear them play 10K Years live. I'll bet it slayed. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is over Speedwolf, though. I mean, it's a great song and all, but it seems like people just cream over that one for some reason when it comes to it being included in HoF's live set. I'm even more confused by people's obsession with DII being played live. Anyway, that was still a great set.

The only thing more depressing than missing a local High on Fire show is missing a local High on Fire show at the Grog Shop, where you can literally get right up in Pike's grill and scream the lyrics at him while pretending to shred the notes in his guitar.

I knew I should have tied up my kids and left them in a closet while I sneaked out to see this show while my wife was at work.

[mankvill]

Originally Posted by petrovar

Hahaha...yeah. I'm just over the cheesy satanic lyrics/imagery of some bands. Bands like Slayer, Venom, etc. I still like because I grew up with them, but Goatwhore, some of the newer satanic black metal bands don't do anything for me. I can't get into them now

Goatwhore is not black metal

[christopher]

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

I knew I should have tied up my kids and left them in a closet while I sneaked out to see this show while my wife was at work.

!!

[petrovar]

Originally Posted by mankvill

Goatwhore is not black metal

I know, I didn't mean it to sound like they were. They are just in that group of bands who have similar imagery and/or lyrics

[petrovar]

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

Personally, I don't see what all the fuss is over Speedwolf, though. I mean, it's a great song and all, but it seems like people just cream over that one for some reason when it comes to it being included in HoF's live set.

Well it's my favorite HOF song mostly because of the main riff. It's my favorite riff off any song ever. And I've never seen it live, so for me it was great to FINALLY get it.

[Natrlhi]

^ Fair enough. I know they've played it here in Cleveburg at least once in the past - you must have missed that show. I want to say it was when they toured for Death Is This Communion, with MONO opening for them. Fantastic fucking show - it was at the Grog, too.

Also, you seem to have missed the joke on the Richard Pryor shirt. It's not that Pryor rhymes with fire, it's that Pryor was often known for being HIGH, and once he had an accident wherein he was momentarily set on FIRE...thus the words "High on Fire" could actually be used to describe him in a literal sense.

[TonyD]

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

^ Fair enough. I know they've played it here in Cleveburg at least once in the past - you must have missed that show. I want to say it was when they toured for Death Is This Communion, with MONO opening for them. Fantastic fucking show - it was at the Grog, too.

Also, you seem to have missed the joke on the Richard Pryor shirt. It's not that Pryor rhymes with fire, it's that Pryor was often known for being HIGH, and once he had an accident wherein he was momentarily set on FIRE...thus the words "High on Fire" could actually be used to describe him in a literal sense.

Either way it's an awesome shirt, but good luck finding anybody else that knows a) that story, and b) that High on Fire is a band.