Oakland power trio High on Fire are about to drop their sixth full length, De Vermis Mysteriis, on April 3 via eOne Music. Those familiar with the band—featuring guitarist/vocalist Matt Pike, bassist Jeff Matz and drummer Des Kensel—know these heshers deal in super heavy thrashing stoner metal.
Not only is their forthcoming release an absolute burner (thanks in part to excellent production from Converge's Kurt Ballou) with tons of unexpected twists and turns, but it also boasts a mind-twisting concept that explores the idea that Jesus Christ had a time-traveling twin brother.
“I got this idea about Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Conception: What if Jesus had a twin who died at birth to give Jesus his life? And then what if the twin became a time traveler right then?," says Pike.
"He lives his life only going forward until he finds this scroll from an ancient Chinese alchemist who derived a serum out of the black lotus—which is actually in Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories—and then he starts traveling back in time. He can see the past through his ancestors’ eyes, but his enemies can kill him if they kill the ancestor that he’s seeing through at the time. Basically, he keeps waking up in other people’s bodies at bad times. It’s kinda like that old TV show Quantum Leap. Kurt actually pointed that out to me after I told him the idea. But whatever—time travel is a killer concept.”
Below, check out the gnarly track "Romulus and Remus" from De Vermis Mysteriis, and prepare to have your speakers—and mind—blown.
Photo by T. Couture
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