Surrounded by Thieves is the second album by California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

n stoner metal band High on Fire

High on Fire

High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...

. It was their first album for Relapse Records

Relapse Records

Relapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado...

 and was produced by Billy Anderson

Billy Anderson (music)

Billy Anderson is a record producer, engineer and musician. He has worked with hundreds of bands over the past 20 years, including Cormorant, Eyehategod, Mr. Bungle, Red House Painters, Fantômas and Sleep...

 and the band itself. It is generally considered one of the finest metal albums of 2002. "Hung, Drawn and Quartered" was utilized as the album's promotional track. It was featured on a 7" split with Mastodon

Mastodon (band)

Mastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...

's "March of the Fire Ants" and had a music video

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

 which aired on Uranium

Uranium (TV series)

Uranium is an American television program about heavy metal which aired on Fuse TV in the early 2000s. After establishing herself as the host of MMUSA's Tastemakers program, Juliya Chernetsky, along with network producers, created Uranium as an outlet for the broad range of heavy metal subgenres...

and Headbangers Ball

Headbangers Ball

Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...

.

Reception

Surrounded by Thieves was well received by critics. Allmusic's Brian O'Neill awarded the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "relentless" and suggesting that every song was "an epic that rolls like sinister thunder across the landscape." O'Neill noted that there was "not much variation" on the album but added that variety isn't necessary "when you get locked into a groove this good." Isaiah Violante, writing for Pitchfork, gave a similarly positive review of 8.8 out of 10. Violante praised the album's "nihilistic theme and all-encompassing walls of drone." He went on to praise the band for being able to "only operate according to its own whims" while also making "organic and monstrous music."

Track listing

1. "Eyes and Teeth" – 5:03
2. "Hung, Drawn, and Quartered" – 4:27
3. "Speedwolf" – 4:36
4. "The Yeti" – 7:07
5. "Nemesis" – 3:34
6. "Thraft of Caanan" – 8:06
7. "Surrounded by Thieves" – 4:19
8. "Razor Hoof" – 3:26

Personnel

• Matt Pike
  Matt Pike
  Matt Pike is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist of the influential doom metal band Sleep and frontman of High on Fire. He is quite well known in the metal scene for almost never wearing a shirt during live performances....
  
   - guitar, vocals
• George Rice - bass
• Des Kensel
  Des Kensel
  Des Kensel is the drummer of the stoner metal band High on Fire.In the early 1990s, Des Kensel played drums for the New Haven, CT band Mindwar.Des Kensel is married, he also has a young son....
  
   - drums
• Billy Anderson
  Billy Anderson (music)
  Billy Anderson is a record producer, engineer and musician. He has worked with hundreds of bands over the past 20 years, including Cormorant, Eyehategod, Mr. Bungle, Red House Painters, Fantômas and Sleep...
  
  - producer, engineer
• Mark Keaton - mastering
• Orion Landau - artwork
• Justin Lieberman - assistant engineer