HIGH ON FIRE — Electric Messiah (review)

HIGH ON FIRE — Electric Messiah album cover Album · 2018 · Stoner Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Electric Messiah" is the 8th full-length studio album by US heavy metal act High on Fire. The album was released through eOne Music in October 2018. It´s the successor to "Luminiferous" from 2015 and features the same trio lineup who recorded the predecessor. Kurt Ballou (Converge) was once again involved in the recording process (like he was on the last couple of albums).

And consistent is probably also the first word which comes to mind while listening to "Electric Messiah", which features a similar heavy metal/stoner metal sound to the sound found on the last couple of releases. The sound production is also relatively similar sounding, and it seems High on Fire have locked into a groove these days, and there isn´t much development of sound or style anymore. This is more or less how they´ve sounded since "Death Is This Communion" from 2007. To my ears the choice of Ballou on this album and the two preceding it, has meant that High on Fire´s music has not shone like it could have (and did on "Death Is This Communion (2007)" and on "Snakes for the Divine (2009)"). He is a skilled producer, but his production style just doesn´t suit High on Fire´s music that well. Why for example place Matt Pike´s vocals so low in the mix or drench them in effects, when you´re dealing with such a raw and powerful vocalist, who can easily hold his own. Put him up front so we can marvel in his caustic aggression and commanding delivery...oh well that was not to be.

The rather flat an undymanic sound production can´t completely hide that there are some quality material featured on "Electric Messiah" and as usual we´re treated to a combination of heavy mid-paced tracks with a stoner metal edge and faster more aggressive tracks. Think of a mix of Black Sabbath, Motörhead, and early Slayer, and you´re not too far off. A few more memorable riffs and hook laden vocal phrases would have been nice, and it becomes even more obvious how much more great the music could have been with a little more melody, when you hear Pike sing just slightly more melodic on a track like album closer "Drowning Dog", and as a result that track becomes an album highlight.

I know I sound a little negative, and probably also a little more negative than intended, but I generally hold High on Fire and especially Pike in high regard, and high expectations warrants high quality delivery, and "Electric Messiah" to me is only a good quality album. It doesn´t reach the sky like I expect when I listen to a High on Fire album. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is still deserved, but I expect the band to make some changes on the next release before rigor mortis begins to set in (yeah that´s probably a bit too dramatic...let´s just use the word stagnation).
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