Classic Albums (Music)

Not a fan or have a great knowledge of 70s rock music or the bands, but this is a pretty kick ass debut album. Sonically is sound great with the story being it was recorded in Tom Schloz’s own basement with him playing most of the instruments. The vocalist is a great fit.

• It’s a classic, landmark album, immaculately crafted and full of great songs: * - Loudersound.

Many fans of Electric Wizard who are more familiar with Dopethrone may have missed this album, Ramesses was formed after the break up of the original electric wizard lineup following Let Us Prey. This second album say them craft an excellent album full of british pulp/horror themes and samples.

Review from Rocksound: *Their second full-length, ‘Take The Curse’ is as dark and claustrophobic as they come, bursting at the seams with massive sludge riffs and enjoyably camp soundbites from 70s horror flicks. *

As said by AllMusic:

Ire Works succeeds in many of the same ways that their previous album did, while branching out creatively. They continue to toy with technical metal, blistering hardcore, jazz breaks, and post-punk, but here they evolve again by adding more twists and turns with additional electronic elements. While the merging of too many styles in hardcore can make for a convoluted result (see Avenged Sevenfold's self-titled release), the added instruments and genre changeups enhance the result rather than acting as ornamental distractions.

On the fourth HoF album (and the first with new member Jeff Matz - who remains in the band to this day) was the moment I think when the classic HoF sound emerged.

From pitchfork: To the collection (and Jack's) credit, it ends up a deflating experience listening to 2005's Blessed Black Wings in tandem. At the time of the earlier album's release, it seemed like Joe Preston's bass and Steve Albini's production had given High on Fire their most monumental, thunderous sound to date, but weirdly, it's pretty limp in comparison. Musically, Blessed Black was punkier, and in restrospect, the songwriting just isn't as good.

Haven't heard this album for a long time but gave it a thrash. Was their third release and their first of two for a major label. Great album - catchy, muscular all the way through.

Decibel placed it in their hall of fame - From the coiled thump of “Consume” and dissonant thrash ‘n’ pummel of “Insurrection” to the fist-raising title track anthem and what is almost certainly the catchiest song about castrating rapists, like, ever (“Desperate Fool”), Scratch the Surface is not merely a great record; it is a transcendent one by the standards of any and all subsets of extreme music, an assertion borne out by the fact that the 2006 Sick of It All tribute album Our Impact Will Be Felt features enthusiastic Scratch covers from such stalwart heavies as Sepultura and Napalm Death.