High on Fire
Electric Messiah


4.0
excellent

Review

by PsychicChris USER (589 Reviews)
October 25th, 2018 | 52 replies


Release Date: 2018 | Tracklist

Review Summary: If Sleep’s The Sciences was the unexpected return of a glorious titan, then Electric Messiah is the reliable bellow of a faithful leviathan

People think High on Fire albums are all the same. Granted the trio keeps to a consistent stoner caveman thrash style, but they tend to write two different types of albums. You’ve got fast, straightforward pummelers like Snakes for the Divine and Luminiferous on one hand while Death Is This Communion and De Vermis Mysteriis are decidedly slower, more contemplative affairs. Electric Messiah ultimately leans to the latter category, but a lot of time is spent wrestling between the two templates.

This grander scope is most obviously apparent on the album’s slowest and longest songs, “Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil” and “Sanctioned Annihilation.” Des Kensel’s building tribal drumlines keep these crawling tempos from dragging but Matt Pike’s guitar mastery is what helps stand out from one another. It’s especially impressive how he occasionally throws in some fast tremolo runs on “Sanctioned Annihilation” without losing sight of the overall slowness.

Oddly enough, the numerous faster songs may end up being the album’s biggest growers. They’re all unique enough to avoid interchangeability but they aren’t as straightforward or hooky as their charging rhythms would suggest. The triumphant marches of “Drowning Dog” are enough for it to not only be this album’s biggest standout, but also one of High on Fire’s greatest closers to date.

If Sleep’s The Sciences was the unexpected return of a glorious titan, then Electric Messiah is the reliable bellow of a faithful leviathan. It isn’t quite at the mind-blowing level of High on Fire’s greatest efforts, but the well-preserved energy alone will surely make fans happy with the great highlights serving as a nice bonus. Such is the glory of Matt Pike. Now if only we could get a new Om album sometime soon...

Highlights:
“Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil”
“Sanctioned Annihilation”
“The Witch and the Christ”
“Drowning Dog”

Originally published at http://psychicshorts.blogspot.com



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user ratings (272)
3.7
great

Comments:Add a Comment 
Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
October 25th 2018


32179 Comments


Chris to the rescue, great review man. I haven't jammed it yet but I'm sure I'll dig it. Just one detail, seems this album was inspired and dedicated to Lemmy. Just a small thing but it's what "Electric Messiah" is all about.

south_of_heaven 11
October 26th 2018


5614 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Album crushes



Drowning Dog ftw

GUNGFUHAMMERFIST
October 26th 2018


520 Comments


good shit. pos

SymbolicInTime
October 26th 2018


7380 Comments


Love that album art

Hawks
October 26th 2018


93615 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Damn that art is sick. Def gotta hear this. m/

GhostB1rd
October 26th 2018


7938 Comments


I remember listening to like 80% of this when it got posted to YT and not really feeling it. I guess I just wasn't in the mood for it, really. It's definitely HoF by numbers, so if you like their other stuff you'll dig this too.

bloc
October 26th 2018


70683 Comments


This might be the best album I've heard from them tbh

GUNGFUHAMMERFIST
October 26th 2018


520 Comments


bow to electric messiah

Meridiu5
October 26th 2018


4180 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

band owns hard

BigPleb
October 26th 2018


65799 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Opener is a damn ripper.



Pike metal for life m///////

Demon of the Fall
October 26th 2018


35524 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Nice review.

As for the album I really need to revisit it, I was initially disappointed with those first few plays. It did feel very much like HoF by the numbers & wasn't particularly memorable.

insomniac15
Staff Reviewer
October 26th 2018


6247 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Nice review! This album is punishment for the drummer haha. It's better overall than Luminiferous

DDDeftoneDDD
October 26th 2018


22796 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

"Oddly enough, the numerous faster songs may end up being the album’s biggest growers"

Firstly tks for finally reviewing this! Secondly, I love this short reviews. However I'm sad once you said this phrase and didn't mentioned Freebooter as an highlight! lol

That said, I love this album and put it up there on my HoF faves with De Vermis and Death Is this Communion.

PistolPete
October 26th 2018


5306 Comments

Album Rating: 3.0

Surprised this didn't have a review yet. I liked it, but yeah it's a bit by the numbers and while it's enjoyable during the listen, I never have felt like going back to it much since.

Marehelm
October 30th 2018


862 Comments


Gotta jam

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
November 21st 2018


32179 Comments


Finally came around this one. T/t is the shieeeeeeet!

Firedust
November 21st 2018


1176 Comments


Album fuckin slays

Dewinged
Staff Reviewer
November 21st 2018


32179 Comments


His voice, man. Pike is a beast.

DDDeftoneDDD
November 21st 2018


22796 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

T/t is the shieeeet

Album fuckin slays

agreed

this needs more sput attention

DDDeftoneDDD
December 31st 2018


22796 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off

m/m/ Hitting the year's lists all around m/m/

fuck yeah



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