The first time I saw High on Fire was the night after my 21st birthday. I had no idea who they were but I quickly learned that I desperately needed more of them in my life. Four years later, I finally had the opportunity to satisfy that desire during what would become one of the best nights of my life.
First up were Boston, MA natives, Doomriders, featuring Nate Newton (Converge, Old Man Gloom) on guitar 
and vocals. I didn’t really know what to expect as I’m not a Converge fan, but I was pleasantly surprised by their performance. They had a lot of energy and easily engaged the crowd. At the very least, Doomriders made for an entertaining opening act and I look forward to seeing them again in the future.
The Norwegian wonders that make up Kvelertak were scheduled to play next, but not before guitarist Bjarte Lund Rolland and I gushed over a mutual love of each other’s shirts (Mine: Kylesa, His: Kadavar). Have you ever had your head inside of a dead owl? If it’s as fun as vocalist Erlend Hjelvik makes it look, then it may be worth looking into. Kvelertak are quickly becoming one of my favorite bands to see live. They’re talented gentlemen and they know how to connect with the audience. Said connection occasionally takes the form of crowd surfing while continuing to sing or play their instruments. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t drag people up on stage to play with them like they did the last time they were in town but it was a great performance nonetheless.
Headliners High on Fire finally took the stage around ten o’clock followed by a roar of applause from an eager audience. As a woman who loves her bass players, it can be difficult to be impressed by a guitarist, but Matt Pike, of Sleep fame, is one of my favorites for a reason and he made it abundantly clear that night. There was no witty banter, no trying to engage the crowd with small talk, just the occasional song title and an all-out assault on your ears and mind. Despite saying that he was getting sick, Pike’s performance never let on that he was feeling under the weather and a room full of fans was treated to a twelve track set featuring songs off of every major studio release in their catalog. I was personally pleased to hear ‘Fury Whip’ and ‘Rumors of War’ off of my favorite album, Death is this Communion (Relapse).
Overall, I was really pleased with this line up. There was never a dull moment as even setting up between bands didn’t take very long. It was a wonderful night, Pike was an absolute pleasure to meet, and I commend the mastermind(s) behind this tour. My ears finally stopped ringing this morning.
Words: Aleida La Llave
Photos by Hillarie Jason of Hillarie Jason Photography