Review Summary: Sanhedrin’s personality shines through an eclectic blend of doomy hard rock
Sanhedrin has always had some varied influences in their hard rock/heavy metal intermingling and their fourth album feels like their most eclectic showing yet. There aren’t too many radical experiments but rather deeper dives into punk and AOR among other styles. This is also done while the trio’s musicianship holds to its signature quirks, bringing in a sense of comfort to the proceedings while seeing how far they’re able to push the limits of their overall sound.
The approach can raise some concerns about overall consistency but there are plenty of great songs to work with. The title track and “Above The Law” work for some neat back-to-back contrasts, the former playing like Pat Benatar at her most atmospherically brooding while the latter channels punk in its straightforward power chord bashing and lyrics serving as a pointed attack on authority. “The Fight of Your Life” and “Franklin County Line” draw on the band’s hard rock sensibilities with brash strutting riffs and quirky storytelling that plays like a mix of late seventies Blue Oyster Cult and Bon Scott-era AC/DC.
On top of that, the album’s more metal tracks come with a gloomy overcast that wasn’t as pronounced on 2022’s Lights On. The opening “Blind Wolf” is an immediate indicator of this mood, playing like a doomed out Judas Priest with bookending fanfare ala a minor key “The Hellion/Electric Eye” with appropriately scorching riffs. “King of Tides” is another atmospheric number drawing on murkier chugs while “High Threshold For Pain” has an ominous hustle that’s somewhere between Mercyful Fate and Grim Reaper.
Overall, Heat Lightning sees Sanhedrin’s personality shine through exploratory songwriting and familiar band dynamics. The doomy hard rock style works well for them and the extra excursions never feel too out of their wheelhouse, even when there are times where the pacing could’ve been a bit snappier. This admittedly doesn’t hit me as hard as something like Lights On or 2019’s The Poisoner, but that speaks more to how astounding those albums were than any shortcomings here. Either way, Sanhedrin still makes a strong case as one of the most consistent bands in modern heavy metal.
