The Electric Hellfire Club
Electronomicon
Cleopatra Records
Wow, an actual Swedish Death Metal Band! I just thought that was a joke in another band’s song, but here it is! Electric Hellfire Club is a band that proudly wears its Satanism on its sleeve as it pounds out complex and demanding metal chords, all in praise of Lucifer… or Beelzebub, or Azazel, or whatever the evil one goes by these days. Guitarist Ricktor Ravensbrück leads the way into this black-mass-themed orgy of noise, with Sabina Satana and Black Circle Chucky and Klem Kthulu backing him up on bass, keys, drums and ritualistic sacrifice. Lead vocals come from Thomas Thorns as he sings such classics as “Hypochristian,” “I Dream of Demons,” “Hymn to the Fallen,” and my favorite – “Goat Mass.” There’s just something about goats and Satanism that fascinates me, and it’s part of the inversion of Christian symbols, no matter how silly the result.
While I certainly can’t say this is something I’ll pop in my car CD player on a typical morning commute, these folks do know their stuff, musically and spiritually. You’ve got your dull black cover with pentagrams and microscopic lyrics and a shot of the band looking as tough as possible – sort of like bikers on a job interview. The Swedes know how to properly use their umlauts, and one of the founders left Thrill Kill Kult because they were “too disco.” If you’re really into this religion, or just want to freak out you mother, I can’t recommend any band more highly. Crank it up, pop open a warm Bloodweiser and enjoy the sort of church service you’ll never see on channel 56.
Cleopatra Records: http://cleorecs.com/ • Electric Hellfire Club: http://www.electrichell.com/
