Sanhedrine Heat Lightning CD Review

What a time to be alive and be a fan of Metal! In the past few years, the females have been overtaking the scene of Metal or at least it feels that way to me. Every time I think I’ve heard it all from a female fronted band, another hits my box and I’m blown away again. The latest band isn’t new by any stretch – I first heard the band Sanhedrin on STB Records Mix-Tape Volume I. They’d added their tune “Riding on the Dawn” on the “name your price” compilation via bandcamp and that was all she wrote for me; I was hooked immediately. To date, the band has released four full length albums, the latest “Heat Lightning” is their 2^nd full length for Metal Blade Records.
 
Depending on how you view Metal, you might get a few different things from listening to Sanhedrin, some will say Doom Metal others will say Oldschool Metal. I hear a bit of it all. Admittedly, the Doom aspects come across more like Proto Doom with a 70’s type vibe, but the traces of NWOBHM quickly push me out of that mindset. The band’s latest release “Heat Lightning” is a throw back to the early 80’s Heavy Metal albums where it was all about the riff, the backbeat and earsplitting lead breaks. Adding more depth and flavor to the tunes the band does add in a bit of moodiness that comes off like something out of the Occult Rock scene – think Coven & Lucifer. I also hear a ton of Thin Lizzy influence which is damned good, you just can’t go wrong there! Lyrically, we’re in the Occult Rock zone, so it’s a vibe for sure. Something to take note of is the band is a trio, and all 3 members stand out – the rhythm section is tight as hell, the vocals are insane, and the guitar work is phenomenal!

“Heat Lightning” comes in at around the 43-minute mark and there’s no filler, sure some tracks hit harder than others, but there’s no weaknesses found, only strength and power. There’s a lot to soak up here if you’re a fan of Metal – the vocals of Erica Stoltz are crazy good – “The Fight of Your Life” is a perfect example of just how talented she is, she amazes at every turn. Guitarist, Jeremy Sosville’s presence is felt all over this album, his riffs and lead guitar work are reminiscent of the guitar gods from the 80’s Metal scene. The lead breaks in the tunes “Above the Law” and “Franklin County Line” fucking SLAY! Drummer, Nathan Honor anchors it down and keeps it between the ditches without too much flash or overplay which is a nice touch – sometimes drummers in trios tend to crowd the song and toss in too many licks.

I can’t wait to grab the vinyl edition of this album, it falls in line with everything that I love about Metal – it’s loud, fast, boisterous and FUN. The production and mix are on point too, without a doubt this will sound magnificent on a turntable.
 
Stand out tracks - “King of Tides”, The Fight of Your Life”, “Above the Law” and “Blind Wolf”.

~Black Angel