Although described by SPIN magazine as “one of America’s greatest unsung metal bands,” HIGH SPIRITS has always been identified as a high-energy rock. Similarly, the founder and leader of HIGH SPIRITS has always referred to himself only as Chris, although it is no secret that he is Chris “Professor” Black, and it was clear from the start that HIGH SPIRITS’ majority audience comes clad in denim & leather.
HIGH SPIRITS on record remains as it began, with Chris writing, playing, and producing everything on his own. But already at the demo stage, the five-piece HIGH SPIRITS live band was in high demand and gained much DIY tour experience during 2010 and 2011. Meanwhile, Chris was writing more songs for HIGH SPIRITS, which always emphasized melody, atmosphere, and a lifelike blend of emotions.
The debut album Another Night (High Roller Records 2011) caused a big sensation. In particular, the tracks “Another Night in the City” and “Full Power” hooked listeners immediately and have helped sustain the album’s popularity to the present day. In 2012, strong label and media supported combined with the band’s “just say yes” attitude to carry HIGH SPIRITS to four European gigs including the Rock Hard Festival in Germany and Muskelrock in Sweden. HIGH SPIRITS then returned to Europe in 2013 for a more fully-formed tour which came to a climax at the legendary Keep It True Festival.
You Are Here (2014) kicked off a series of tours spanning the United States, Canada, England, and mainland Europe. The band continued touring heavily throughout 2015, performing at no less than seven festivals in five countries, powered by phenomenal audience response. The band’s experiences on the road (and in the air) were chronicled on the semi-autobiographical album Motivator (2016), supported throughout 2017 by the four-part “MotivaTour”.
HIGH SPIRITS entered 2020 with a new album in the works and a full program of gigs booked to support its release. When it launched in July, the album Hard to Stop received high marks from the fans and media, but the touring schedule had already been postponed indefinitely. 2022 brought with it a lot of promise, and the band got back on the road after three years away. This year, HIGH SPIRITS performed approximately 15 shows in its usual range of amphitheatres and dive-bars both at home and abroad, including Hells Heroes festival in Texas and Party-San Metal Open Air in Germany.
HIGH SPIRITS also officially partnered with Doomstar Bookings in order to reach a broader European audience in 2023 and into the unknown future. But the next phase of HIGH SPIRITS’ journey will be built as before: by the power of the songs and on the strength of the band’s magnetic live shows, shared and celebrated with an audience that is more united, more diverse, but just as spirited and dedicated as ever.