Matt Pike
| Matt Pike | |
|---|---|
Pike in 2008
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Matthew Pike |
| Born | June 3, 1972 |
| Origin | Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres |
Doom metal Sludge metal Stoner metal Thrash metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments |
Guitar Vocals |
| Years active | Late 1980s–present |
| Labels |
Southern Lord Relapse Records Man's Ruin Earache Tee Pee Records |
| Associated acts |
High on Fire Sleep Asbestosdeath Kalas |
| Website | http://www.highonfire.com |
| Notable instruments | |
|
First Act Guitars Custom 9-string electric Gibson Les Paul |
|
First Act Guitars Custom 9-string electric
Matt Pike (born June 3, 1972) is an American metal musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and the frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for never wearing a shirt during live performances.
As a guest star, Pike voiced an unnamed character in Metalocalypse on late-night block Adult Swim.
Pike moved to California after spending time in military school while living with his mother in Golden, Colorado. Arriving in San Jose, he realized the hardcore punk and heavy metal scenes were more active than the ones in Denver. He made friends, attended shows, and eventually joined the sludge metal band Asbestosdeath. When playing around the Bay Area they developed a much heavier and slower sound more akin to doom metal. The quartet soon gained a following and changed their name to Sleep.
When fellow Sleep guitarist Justin Marler decided to quit, Sleep became a power trio. The band's second album, Sleep's Holy Mountain, illustrated Pike as a young Tony Iommi—Playing Black Sabbath-styled riffs that invariably made a profound impact on the developing stoner metal/doom metal scene.
As a result of the increased press, the band's demographic and following widened greatly, and major label deals soon began surfacing. However, instead of following a path to mainstream exposure, the band fled further underground, turning down countless major label deals and submitting the one-song, full-length Jerusalem in mid-1996. In 1997, the band called it quits after London Records refused to release the Dopesmoker/Jerusalem recordings and the pressure the members were experiencing became unbearable. Pike couldn't come to terms with the break-up and became depressed. He soon realized that his career as a musician was far from over, and began inviting people to jam in his garage. Deciding to work in a power trio again, he brought in Desmond Kensel (drums) and an old friend George Rice (bass) to play in his new band. Within six months, the jams were headed to fruition and High on Fire was developing from a simple need to play guitar again.
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Wikipedia