Snakes for the Divine (Bonus Track Edition)

Probably the greatest compliment one can pay High On Fire is that no band comes heavier. As stoner/doom-metal dudes, Matt Pike and Co. (bassist Jeff Matz and drummer Des Kensel) go for the jugular at all points, relegating subtlety to other bands not as singularly devoted to producing such heaviness. The title track crunches for eight-plus minutes that tributes Celtic Frost at their heaviest before giving way to the album’s first “single,” “Frost Hammer,” where the band tightens the approach ever so slightly: only in comparison to the complete shredders that follow. “Ghost Neck” begins the furious roll of the album’s second half where the band makes a brilliant bid as 2010’s most essential metal band. “The Path” is the minute-and- -a-half intro that sends the group into its darkest corner. “Fire, Flood & Plague,” “How Dark We Pray” and “Holy Flames of the Firespitter” offer solid marching tunes that veer into melodic passageways just under the dungeon. The multi-year wait for Snakes has brought a notable addition to their impeccable catalog.