Electic Eel Shock Album Review
Electric Eel Shock are a three piece who originate from Tokyo, Japan. They have been around for a while now. ‘Transworld Ultra Rock’ is their third commercially available album from a band who are well known for their touring, if little else.
The opening tracks starts with vibrant punchy guitar riffs, and the lead guitar is very welcoming throughout the track. Slightly repetitive vocals aren’t always a bad point, and the stadium rock guitars accompany the lyrics ‘I can’t hear you’, well. It is a blast of an opening track, but Electric Eel Shock’s sound doesn’t really progress throughout the album.
Second track, ‘Big Mistake’ also relies on repetition, both in lyrical terms and instrumentally as well. The musical breakdown is fairly simple and runs apparent on too many tracks, with heavy drums and guitars providing the backdrop for the chorus, and a crazy ‘Iron Maiden’ like guitar solo in the background.
It becomes apparent that this album is one that will please EES loyal fan base, but do little more for the average inquisitive music fan. ‘Dice De Try’ is much more of the same. Similar heavy guitars, similar song make ups and breakdowns, really do nothing for those of you who like bands to progress with every effort.
Electric Eel Shock have decided to split the lyrics to their songs, choosing English on some, and their native Japanese on others. And as most of you probably aren’t fluent in the Asian tongue, it may come as a slight relief to your ears that you don’t have to endure Aki Morimoto’s repetitive vocals in the early tracks.
The listener is given a real treat when parts of some songs are expressed in a mixture of the two languages, such as ‘Joe’. This is another heavy handed song, which is a moshers dream, but nothing more. It clearly becomes visible the deeper into the album the listener delves, that this is one for the long haired guys your likely to see at ‘Metallica’ gig, running around in a circle, having the time of their lives.
‘Joe II’ may well have been merged into its predecessor, but vocalist Morimoto decides to yell ‘Kill, kill, before I kill you’ instead of what he is repeating in a foreign tongue.
With tracks titled ‘I Want War’ and towards the end of the LP ‘All My Love’ the band are providing a dark contrast. Maybe they are trying o make a mockery of certain political situations, in Iraq for instance.
‘Kill The Weekend’ is another track where Lennon & McCartney’s lyrical crown is challenged. ‘Kill, kill, before it kills me, kill, kill, before I kill you’ • pure genius.
Maybe it isn’t the lyrical aspect that his three piece are focusing. Maybe it is their live performances they rely on. Maybe this is a head-bangers ball. Let’s just hope that this is the case on the evidence of ‘Transworld Ultra Rock’.
The self titled track is probably the highlight of the album, with the ‘du, dus’ and whistling giving the album a fresher sound. The synth in the background also provides something different, and this track really is a blast of a song. It might have a slightly ‘poppier’ feel, but Morimoto’s vocals put pay to any potential mainstream radio play, much, most likely, to the relief of their following.
‘All My Love’ opens with an almost Stone Roses esq guitar riff and does provide a good balance between soft and heavy rock. It draws the listener in to a false sense of security, before hitting them with a frantic dose of bass and hammering vocals. The fade on Morimoto’s voice also works well in between choruses.
Overall, this album does have catchy efforts which draw the listener in, but too often does it revert to trying to pull the strings off a guitar rather than playing it. The majority of ‘Transworld Ultra Rock’ is for the 70’s head-banger who just can’t let go, but underneath the heavy repetitive guitars and lyrics, there are signs of more potential in this evergreen band.