High on Fire, ‘Fertile Green’ – Song Review

Sludge metal merchants High on Fire have just unleashed 'Fertile Green' as the first single from their upcoming album 'De Vermis Mysteriis' -- and holy hell have they outdone themselves with this one. 'Fertile Green' is a progressively captivating trudge through a trench, with all of the band's strengths accented through masterful songwriting and flawless production.

High on Fire's sixth studio album, 'De Vermis Mysteriis' ('The Mysteries of the Worm'), is set for release on April 3, and if 'Fertile Green' is any indication for the overall quality of the album, it is sure to occupy many "best of" lists for 2012.

The band recruited Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou to produce the new album, with Ballou coming through to help create a dirty, thick and incredibly heavy sound. The production complements High on Fire's signature sound perfectly, as well as the concept of the album. According to High on Fire frontman Matt Pike, who sounds like a sludge-metal Lemmy Kilmister on 'Fertile Green,' the concept is rooted in religion.

"I got this idea about Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Conception," says Pike. "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? … A Jesus twin who can see the past through his ancestors' eyes."

For fans of High on Fire, sludge, insane guitar work, twisted concepts and purely awesome metal, we can't stress enough how essential it is that you check out 'Fertile Green.' Stop what you're doing, turn it up to 11 and allow this track to wrap its tentacles around your brain. You'll hear why 'Fertile Green' (available now on iTunes) is the best metal track to be released so far in 2012.

Listen to High on Fire, 'Fertile Green'