Electric Hellfire Club Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
For the longest time, Rob Zombie wished he could have been as cool as Electric Hellfire Club. Ironically enough, the release of Electronomicon sees the seminal gothic fave gone in Zombie's direction by employing ever more industrial-strength repetitive guitar thrashing and catchy choruses with far less doomy, keyboard-drenched dance fare. The addition of several prominent guest musicians from the underground black metal scene (from Dark Funeral, Hypocrisy, and In Aeternum) is apparent from the noticeably increased heft; however, the campy fun that has always been EHC's trademark remains in spite of this. "Hypochristian" is the indicative track, consisting of a simple loop and a greasy riff right out of Zodiac Mindwarp's bag of tricks, leading the way beneath cynical, silly anti-Christian rhetoric. While some older fans will sneer that their favorite band has "gone metal," the fact is that loud guitar was always the staple of the devil's music, and so it shall remain. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
'The Witness the Millennium'
Release Date 6/20/2000
Tracks 10
Label Cleopatra
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What The Critics Say
When the year 2000 arrived, the Electric Hellfire Club could no longer be placed in the industrial category. It had evolved into a bona fide alternative metal band, and 2000's Witness the Millennium is very much an alternative metal album. This highly entertaining CD isn't devoid of sampling and electronic elements, but while technology was the foundation of EHC's industrial work, Witness the Millennium is consistently guitar-based. One thing that hasn't changed about EHC is its lyrics, which still deal with Satanism and the Occult (although S&M/bondage -- something EHC has addressed in the past -- isn't a prominent subject on this release). But while blistering gems like "The Bishop's Folly" (which is about a Christian minister who becomes a Satanist) and "Number of the Beast" are unlikely to get the Christian Coalition's stamp of approval anytime soon, nothing on Witness the Millennium is truly unsettling. When Slayer and Deicide address the Occult, they are genuinely disturbing -- EHC, however, comes across as tongue-in-cheek and humorous more than anything. Witness the Millennium is nothing more than an exercise in outrageous, over-the-top fun, and it is also one of 2000's best alternative metal releases. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Empathy for the Devil'
Release Date 9/14/1999
Tracks 7
Label Cleopatra
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
The late 1990s found the Electric Hellfire Club shifting focus from heavily electronic industrial sounds to more of a guitar-based alternative-metal approach. Synthesizers and samplers weren't eliminated but became less prominent, and the electric guitar started taking center stage. As EHC evolved, they didn't get away from shock value; the band still employed plenty of satanic and bondage/S&M imagery and continued to fancy themselves the musical equivalent of London's infamous Hellfire Club, where decadence, debauchery, and kink reigned supreme. (It was the Hellfire Club that, in 1966, inspired The Avengers' most controversial episode, "A Touch of Brimstone," which found Diana Rigg's Emma Peel character putting on her best dominatrix attire and shocking British viewers with an outfit that included a black corset, lace-up boots, a spiked dog collar, a whip, and over-the-elbow gloves). EHC's evolution is illustrated by Empathy for the Devil, a two-CD set that offers a few new tunes along with an abundance of previously released material. From the previously unreleased "Devil Inside" to fun covers of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell," Motley Crüe's "Shout at the Devil," and the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," disc one spotlights the more guitar-oriented EHC. However, the second disc (which only last 14 minutes) focuses on EHC's more electronic side with the "Halloween Medley," which had come out before on limited edition vinyl and makes its CD debut with Empathy for the Devil. Combining EHC's take on Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi Is Dead" with such delights as "Incubus" and "Black No. 1," this medley was well-received by underground dance clubs and bondage/S&M/fetish establishments. Because of all the satanic and kinky imagery, this release won't be everyone's cup of tea, but EHC's music is never genuinely threatening -- it's too campy, too tongue-in-cheek, too humorous for that. Like the recordings of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, Empathy for the Devil must be taken for what it is: outrageous, over-the-top entertainment, pure and simple. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The continued tongue-in-cheek references to so many classic and pop-metal evildoers is an Electric Hellfire Club tradition and possibly a clue as to the group's actual commitment to satanic service. As with similarly reverent treatments of Kiss' "Calling Dr. Love" and Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast," Unholy Roller's Mötley Crüe tribute, "Shout at the Devil," perhaps signifies an appreciation of their musical predecessor's exploitation of -- rather than any spiritual alignment with -- devilish messages. Besides a few quirky new tracks like "Shout at the Devil," Unholy Roller is primarily a remix collection featuring tracks from the band's previous two full-lengths. Calling Dr. Luv's "Prince of Darkness" gets four treatments, each of which compare nicely to the original. Of the first three (very similar) versions, the "Laughing All the Way Remix" employs the most danceable techno/house groove. A good primer for new listeners, Unholy Roller is a solid musical offering from Electric Hellfire Club. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
When Thomas Thorn, demented chairman of the Electric Hellfire Club, lost his bandmate and best friend, the Rev. Dr. Luv, to a car accident, Thorn recorded this ultraviolent valentine to the good Dr. and the band that drew the two to music: the fearsome foursome, Kiss. "Calling Dr. Love" is a tough song to get wrong, and the title cover track is exquisite, replete with cool backups and Shane (the Rev. Dr. Luv's Christian name) samples: a faithful yet fresh rendering of the Gene Simmons manifesto. The surrounding album holds other momentous movements like "Hellflower" which blossoms into an electro-Nuggets flashback; while "Very Groovy Boots" goes beyond the valley of the devil-dolls. "He Who Holds the Lightning Rod" plays like a cute and fluffy Skinny Puppy, extolling the legend of the mighty Thor, "God of Thunder." Some grooves are wasted, but the actual songs comprise a reverent tribute and a deliciously deceptive Molotov cocktail. ~ Doug Stone, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
With its wicked spoken-word testaments to satan and its tributes to serial killers, Kiss the Goat is perhaps the most evil creation of Electric Hellfire Club. The group's sinister industrial pulse lacks the pure gothic/dance aesthetic of their debut, Burn Baby Burn, and the whole package has a bit more of a conceptual flavor. While the form exhibited on the record's many dark sermons outweighs the funky function of Kiss the Goat, numbers like "Evil Genius (Queen of Sin)" and "Love Is the Law" demonstrate enough sweaty, industrial groove-mongering to entice listeners who aren't necessarily aligned with Electric Hellfire Club's unholy agenda. All the demonic posturing and a lack of musical continuity make this a slightly more specialized release that only devoted fans of the band and satanists will fully appreciate. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Industrial dance satanists Electric Hellfire Club combine funky, abrasive beats with sadistic imagery to create a feral noise and performance art experience on this the band's 1993 Cleopatra Records debut. Listeners who enjoy the musical exploits of My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult will no doubt appreciate the mechanized violence that announces this offshoot's unholy musical intentions. While they're not necessarily Kooler Than Jesus, tunes like "The Electric Hellfire Acid Test" and "Mr. 44" solicit all the black ritualistic imagery needed to inspire the most affected goth club dancefloor. All the references to the prince of darkness might turn a few folks off, but a literal, humorless translation of Burn Baby Burn probably isn't exactly what Electric Hellfire Club intended. A powerful and interesting release, this first effort is considered by many fans to be the group's best. ~ Vincent Jeffries, All Music Guide
