How this INCREDIBLE band manages to come back EVERY TIME refreshed and improved, with each album surpassing the previous one, is truly remarkable!
After 2022’s “Lights On”, their first release under the major label Metal Blade, I thought their sound had peaked. That album was nothing short of spectacular—by far their best since their debut. It left me genuinely wondering what the future held for this band.
In simple terms, I had no idea what more to expect from them! I would have been more than satisfied if they had simply (NOT simple at all) maintained that high standard—if they had kept the bar at the same level (NOT just any level)!
And yet.
SANHEDRIN are clearly made of the kind of material that refuses to settle. They always push forward, chase the next step, the next level, the BEST version of themselves!
ALL IN, AND THEN SOME MORE! That’s the essence of their fourth album, “Heat Lightning”.
From the moment the album kicks off, you realize SANHEDRIN have evolved to another sonic level. The in-your-face “Blind Wolf” sets the tone right away—but when “Above the Law” hits you with its punk rock ferocity wrapped in heavy metal power, you KNOW something has changed within this New York trio!
It’s not the style.
It’s not the attitude.
It’s the way they now choose to connect with their audience—it’s the production that transforms their inspiration into something fresh, yet unmistakably their own.
Drummer Nathan Honor explains: “Sonically there’s no comparison. ‘Heat Lightning’ is the fullest representation of the power of this band. When you take three seasoned musicians with their favorite hand-picked instruments, put them in front of two brilliant producer/engineers in a studio stacked with incredible equipment and no outside distractions, this is what you get.”
Unlike their previous three albums, which were all tracked and mixed by Colin Marston, the band opted for a fresh perspective in a new recording environment. This led them to the legendary Utopia Bearsville studio in Woodstock, New York, where they recorded under the guidance of co-producers Matt Brown (LIFE OF AGONY, A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH) and Jerry Farley (SICK OF IT ALL, MADBALL).
Honor elaborates: “We had great experiences and great results working with Colin Marston on our previous records, but we were beginning to feel the limitations of his studio and wanted to try something different this time around. The idea to work with Matt and Jerry came from a conversation we had while working together on another project. The level of excitement about working together in a studio environment was palpable, and the prospect of combining forces in a legendary studio was something we all wanted to experience together.”
But let’s take things from the top.
As I mentioned earlier, the album kicks off with “Blind Wolf”, a fierce and relentless heavy rock track. Lyrically, the song is inspired by the band’s shared fascination with cults. According to vocalist/bassist Erica Stoltz, “The blind wolf symbolizes losing your animal instincts as a result of adopting someone else’s belief system.” The song is straightforward, pounding, and delivered with ill intent. “We knew as soon as the song was complete that it should open the record”, says guitarist Jeremy Sosville. “It really sets the tone for the journey the listener is about to take with this album.”
The title track, “Heat Lightning”, follows, offering a more melodic, accessible approach. “Heat lightning is a flash of lightning from very far away, sometimes seen in a clear sky. It is used as a metaphor for where we see ourselves at the moment in relation to climate change. Collectively we have moved further away from our direct relationship to nature and have adopted a paternal relationship with the natural world, as if we have control”, says Stoltz.
Next up is my personal favorite, “Above the Law”, a defiant gut-punch to every over-polished, over-stylized song out there—heavy metal the way it should be: raw, direct, and dangerous in the best possible way!
“The Fight of Your Life” is a tribute to those called “Lifers” in the music business. “It is about the compulsion to play music no matter what. When you get the bug and you have it for life, it is your north star, your reason to be”, Stoltz explains. A straightforward, catchy, and rhythmic track that grabs you instantly!
With “King of Tides”, the band slows things down to a doom-laden crawl. The cinematic music sets the tone for a story of puritanical religious fanatics landing in the New World. “They are afraid to land because the people who live where they want to settle are resisting with loud war cries. Striking fear in the minds of these Puritans, they interpret the interaction as a Satanic encounter”. The song climaxes with an epic rock solo section, which, according to Sosville, “is one of my proudest moments as a lead guitar player”.
“Franklin County Line” is the fastest song on the record, inspired by Sosville’s hometown and the surrounding area in northern New York State. Sosville recalls: “Erica and Nathan came up to visit me and work on new music. In the process, we wrote a song inspired by the local Amish population but with a naughty twist”. Pure headbanging fuel—expect full-on moshing at live shows!
Next comes “Let’s Spill Some Blood”, delivering a satisfyingly heavy rock punch. Its lyrics “reflect how fortunate the human race is that most people seek justice as opposed to revenge. There are many dark forces in the corridors of power pretending to be forces for good, and this song calls them out for what they are and urges the listener to stand up and fight for what’s right”, Stoltz states. The hypnotically repeated main riff “symbolizes history repeating itself”, according to Sosville. This builds into an anthemic, singalong chorus, a signature SANHEDRIN trademark.
And now, the moment for my absolute favorite track on the album. “High Threshold for Pain” is the definition of the heavy metal I love—a direct, powerful, uplifting yet strangely dark song that perfectly showcases the talents and skill of Erica Stoltz, Jeremy Sosville, and Nathan Honor.
Finally, I couldn’t imagine a better closing track than the epic “When the Will Becomes the Chain”. The perfect way for SANHEDRIN to leave us completely satisfied and emotionally fulfilled with this phenomenal fourth full-length album!
“Heat Lightning” will be released on March 14th by Metal Blade Records, on both CD and LP.
Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.
You can pre-order both the CD and LP here.
