Archive Review: Electric Hellfire Club’s Electronomicon (2001)

Formed in 1991 by Thrill Kill Kult alumni Thomas Thorn, who left the popular industrial dance band over creative differences, the Electric Hellfire Club has proven to be the perfect outlet for Thorn’s lyrical fascination with the dark side. For better than ten years now, the EHC has corrupted the youth of America with their unique blend of Satanic psychedelia, demonic dance, and Goth run amok. Although they’ve largely shed their early industrial dance leanings in favor of a more metallic Sturm und Drang, Electronomicon shows that the band has managed to retain the energy of their dance roots while incorporating the power of death metal into their aural assault.

The first American band to record in Sweden’s infamous Abyss Studios with producer Tommy Tagtgren (Marduk, Dark Funeral), the Electric Hellfire Club have delivered a club-footed musical bastard in Electronomicon, their fifth full-length album. The songs here rock harder than a jackhammer enema, Thorn and crew taking the EHC further over the edge towards a muscular, dark-hued Euro-influenced death metal sound. The lyrical orientation of Electronomicon should be familiar to long-time fans of the band, however, Thorn offering his particular perspective on Lovecraft’s fictional tome the Necronomicon, complete with serpent cults, old gods, and Christian dupes. 

Whether the EHC are serious or not about the Satanism they wear so openly on their sleeves is irrelevant, really. With tunes this mesmerizing, potent and powerful – ritualistic rhythms driven forward by Ricktor Ravensbruck’s screaming six-string and Thorn’s silver-tongued growl – the music itself makes a statement regardless of the band’s religious and/or philosophical beliefs. Thorn’s well-written and imaginative lyrics aside, the Electric Hellfire Club prove with Electronomicon that they are a hell of a metal band (pun intended). Anyone who might be offended by the Electric Hellfire Club probably isn’t listening anyway. (Cleopatra Records, released October 2nd, 2001)

Review originally published by Alt.Culture.Guide music zine...