The members of Hightower are just as likely to be found on skateboards as they are to be found onstage. The S.F. trio's Thrasher-sanctioned, hardcore-infused, and frequently instrumental brand of metal picks up right where predecessor skate punks left off. The band takes the JFA prototype and inhales just a bit deeper, summoning the chugga-chugga of '80s thrash, gobs of '70s sludge, and song structures worthy of titles like "Wizardhawk." There's plenty of wisecracking, too — Hightower's MySpace schedule features an upcoming show on the Moon: "Get in free if you bring an alien." How high, indeed.
