High On Fire, The Secret Chiefs 3, Necrot, Olum
- Bleeding Priest
- 11 hours ago
- 4 min read
December 30 & 31, 2025
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, CA
Having just come home from tour I didn’t really make plans for NYE and was possibly going to stay home and watch the Twilight Zone marathon. Then these shows fell into my lap. I’ve DJ’d at The Great American Music Hall several times before and it’s always a lot of fun. So I was stoked when asked to spin the tunes at these two High On Fire gigs.
There may have been some variation between the sets each night for some of the bands but I couldn’t tell you what they were, so I’m just going to review both nights as if it were one show…sorta.
Opening the show(s) were LA’s Olum. These guys are a relatively new band according to their keyboardist but you wouldn’t be able to tell. They were very together with performance and presentation. Their sound is unusual but infectious. The lead vocalist/guitarist is from Izmir and the Turkish influence in the music is very present. They even had Jeff Matz from High On Fire guest on the Baglama (saz) which is a Turkish instrument kinda similar to a Lute.
Olum definitely made an impression on me with their psychedelic tinged rock. The bassist kinda resembled Derrek Smalls of Spinal Tap fame to the point where someone in the audience shouted out “Hello Cleveland”. It got a chuckle out of some folks, myself included. I dig these guys.
Following Olum was a band that pretty much single-handedly put Northern California Death Metal back on the map, NECROT!! I’m just going to start it off by saying these guys should have been the support act both nights. They absolutely killed…period.
Necrot has actually become a regular band to the GAMH stage. Starting with playing one of the Death Angel Christmas shows last year to playing this venue a number of times throughout 2025. It’s well deserved. They rule the Bay Area Death Metal scene for obvious reasons. They punished both nights and there’s really nothing more to be said.
Up next we’re a band I’ve heard about for years but never had seen, Secret Chiefs 3. Knowing their connection to Mr. Bungle, maybe I’ve subconsciously avoided this group all these years. I’ve never been much of a Bungle guy. Secret Chiefs 3 also rarely play out from what I understand.
In any case I saw them twice. They sounded exactly how I expected them to. Musically sporadic with jazzy interludes and blast beats peppered throughout. The musicianship was top level without question and they pulled off some very impressive forays into multiple musical styles, but it’s not music I’d ever listen to on my own. It’s just not my thing.
Many of my peers loved it so maybe I’m the odd guy out here but all the reasons I pass on Mr. Bungle are the same ones I’d pass on these guys as well. I guess I like my music a little less whacky…unless I’m rocking Weird Al of course. I’m glad I finally got to see them (twice) though. Seeing it live was impressive but I probably wouldn’t see it again.
Now for the main event, HIGH ON FIRE!! Matt and Jeff are Bay Area musical royalty as far as I’m concerned and it’s well earned/deserved. I’ve never seen these dudes put on a bad show and these two gigs were no exception. They pummeled the crowd with tracks from their latest record Cometh The Storm and lots of early material.
I’m glad they’ve brought back “10,000 Years” to the setlist. My old band The Cutthroats 9 did a U.S. tour with High On Fire back in the early 00’s. They were touring in support of their second album Surrounded by Thieves. By that point in time they had already dropped that song from the setlist.
That boggled our minds because that song was their hit, at least at the time. One of us asked Matt why they’re not playing that tune and his response was “That’s a pussy song”. If he meant chicks dig it he’s absolutely right because when they played it both nights every woman in that building was grooving. I’m glad it’s back in the set.
I heard the venue asked Matt to do a countdown for New Years and he refused saying he’d feel like a gameshow host doing that. I agree. It just wouldn’t suit High On Fire. I mean could you just imagine Matt saying 10, 9, 8….with his gargantuan, rocks in the throat, gravelly voice? Now that I’m thinking about it, Goddammit I wish he had. That would’ve been classic.
The balloons dropped at midnight during one of their songs, perhaps a new one? I was pretty shocked there was no champagne provided by the venue I must say. Maybe it’s because the last time I was at the GAMH for New Years Sleep were performing and they DID give out champagne. But the audience was in such a trancelike state that no one was drinking it.
My better half and I ended up with like 6 cups each and there was a ton of it just sitting at the bar untouched. Whatever the reason it didn’t put a damper on the evening at all. It was a fantastic and memorable way to ring in the new year, cheers!
–Bleeding Priest
