This is what I wanted to hear from High on Fire. This is the sound of greatness, the sound of a band that can now do no wrong. With Steve Albini�s production, you finally get to hear every minute detail of what makes High on Fire so colossal, so huge, so absolutely fucking metal. The album starts where Surrounded by Thieves ended, with drummer Des Kensel pounding out a tribal rhythm, and then Matt Pike and new bassist Joe Preston launch into one of many thrashy riffs. Each member gets equal footing on Blessed Black Wings, and the strengths of the three gel into one ugly, pummeling menace. The prevalent theme of Blessed Black Wings is simple � destroy. Whether it�s the Venom meets Motorhead drive of �Cometh Down Hessian� and �Silver Back� or the pummeling title track, High on Fire are cleaving a path of destruction.

Blessed Black Wings is a sharpened to-the-nanometer blade that could cause your jugular to burst just by looking at it. Des Kensel has a unique and unquestionably recognizable brutal drumming style that is as much a bedrock of High on Fire's sound as Pike's massive guitar and growling voice. Joe Preston's experience with crafting music using extreme volume certainly must have helped Pike take this new release to the next level we see, hear, and feel. Blessed Black Wings bears the mark of true musical talent and song craft. It is state of the art and timeless. It is a modern classic and a high water mark that will be talked about for years to come.