High on Fire

High on Fire formed in Oakland, California in 1998 after Sleep's dissolution, with Matt Pike carrying his downtuned, fuzz-saturated approach into a faster, more aggressive context. Where Sleep moved at glacial pace, High on Fire attacked. Blessed Black Wings, produced by Steve Albini, is their essential record. Pike's guitar tone — Gibson Les Paul through Orange amplifiers, no clean channels, all volume — is one of the most physically powerful sounds in modern rock.