De Vermis Mysteriis - High on Fire
De Vermis Mysteriis Image
Metascore
85 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.5 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Band members: Matt Pike, Des Kensel, Jeff Matz
  • Summary: The concept album for the heavy metal band led by Matt Pike was produced by Kurt Ballou of Converge.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
  1. Exclaim
    Apr 5, 2012
    90
    De Vermis Mysteriis is a bloody, hard-fought triumph.
  2. No Ripcord
    Apr 10, 2012
    80
    Keeping it abrasive and sincerely metal in execution is its strength.
  3. Q Magazine
    Jun 20, 2012
    80
    An utterly furious assault of gritty doom riffs and whisky-addled power, chugging, twisting and thundering with an energy the band have not found in years. [Jun 2012, p.100]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. BBC Music
    May 14, 2012
    80
    Once more they've turned sludge, slime and slurry into heavy metal gold.

See all 15 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. DanRod
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Words cannot describe how awesome this album is. I've been listening to it since August and I have not grown tired of it. Every song on this album creates a story in my mind, especially with lyrics like "A psychopath has found a sight and a way to be the king of days, A rhyme without a poem and the luster of his last ways" from the song King of Days. This is perhaps their best album to date in my opinion, especially with a new producer this album that makes the album sound almost exactly like it would if it was live. "De Vermis Mysteriis" means "Mysteries of the Worm" in Latin and is a "nod" to author Robert Bloch. The album is supposedly about the Twin brother of Jesus Christ dying to allow Jesus to live. Jesus's twin is named Balteazeen and is looking for the Slaughter House of time to find the "riddle of his own existence." The story could be actually very different in everyone's view. Each song in this album is amazing, telling a different part of the story. The song Fertile Green, for example, is mostly about Marijuana, and this leads me to believe that Marijuana is the "life source" of Balteazeen. "King of Days" is about a ruthless psychopath King who is going around different kingdoms and destroying them with no mercy. This is the best album I have ever listened to this year. If you are in to Stoner Metal, Sludge Metal, or are ready for good, wicked, and some of the best metal music to come out in a long time, BUY THIS ALBUM. 9.3/100 This is highly recommended.… Expand

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