In 2007, Rolling Stone named Matt Pike one of its "new guitar gods," and the High on Fire frontman is notable for being among the two or three least-known people on a list that included John Mayer and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, Tool, Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, and Radiohead.
Pike is certainly a luminary in the world of metal - both the heavy and the stoner varieties with which he's associated - but he'd probably prefer to keep his appeal selective. High on Fire - performing at RIBCO on October 8 with Kylesa and Torche - is for metal purists, fans of Metallica's Master of Puppets who think that band has been pandering and floundering for the past two decades.
There's none of that desperation for acceptance with High of Fire, partly a function of its method. The songs are less organic than constructed out of often-disparate parts, and therein lies the key to both the music's appeal and difficulty.
