Electric Eel Shock - Transworld Ultra Rock
Double Peace/Cargo Records - 2PCD01 - 1st October, 2007
By Paddy Walsh
Inhabiting that strange post-genre of 'retro-rock', Japan's Electric Eel Shock set out to ape their old-school influences - ranging from fuzzy Black Sabbath riff-rock to swaggering Motley Crue cock-rock - and do so in a typically Japanese, over the top fashion. Transworld Ultra Rock lives up to its absolutely ridiculous cover art by being an exercise in pure rock hysteria, all fist-punching stadium rock anthems which, like many of their forebearers, is an entertaining diversion but sorely lacking in any real substance, which of course is to miss the point of this completely.
Opener 'I Can't Hear You' comes to typify Transworld Ultra Rock (apparently named after a bizarre Japanese game show), being a punchy, fast-paced rawk song that is all about the shout along chorus. Producer Attie Bauw (whose resume suitably includes The Scorpions and Judas Priest) has done an admirable job in capturing a clear yet fuzzed up guitar sound for Electric Eel Shock, at times giving the album a distinct stoner-rock flavour. This is aided no doubt by some very Black Sabbath moments throughout, such as the Master of Reality-esque breakdown midway into 'Dice de Try'. Unfortunately, when Transworld Ultra Rock descends into dreaded cock-rock territory, as on 'Transamerica Ultra Rock', the results can be quite irritating. However, the band almost get away with it because of the obvious enjoyment they're gleaning from their craft, and there is a feeling of out and out rock and roll abandon that lifts this album above some of its contemporaries. If Witchcraft succeed at evoking the darker scale of 70s rock, then Eletric Eel Shock no doubt represent the hedonistic, tvs out of hotel windows and limos into swimming pools aspect of the era. So when vocalist Akihito Morimoto pulls an outrageously plagiarised Robert Plant histronic on 'Limousine', it's impossible not to smile at his sheer audacity. Yes, it's fairly silly stuff, and it's unlikely that anyone will be listening to this in 10 years time, but it achieves everything it sets out to, which is pretty much just to rock. .
Official Electric Eel Shock Website
Official Cargo Records Website
Double Peace/Cargo Records - 2PCD01 - 1st October, 2007
By Paddy Walsh
Inhabiting that strange post-genre of 'retro-rock', Japan's Electric Eel Shock set out to ape their old-school influences - ranging from fuzzy Black Sabbath riff-rock to swaggering Motley Crue cock-rock - and do so in a typically Japanese, over the top fashion. Transworld Ultra Rock lives up to its absolutely ridiculous cover art by being an exercise in pure rock hysteria, all fist-punching stadium rock anthems which, like many of their forebearers, is an entertaining diversion but sorely lacking in any real substance, which of course is to miss the point of this completely.
Opener 'I Can't Hear You' comes to typify Transworld Ultra Rock (apparently named after a bizarre Japanese game show), being a punchy, fast-paced rawk song that is all about the shout along chorus. Producer Attie Bauw (whose resume suitably includes The Scorpions and Judas Priest) has done an admirable job in capturing a clear yet fuzzed up guitar sound for Electric Eel Shock, at times giving the album a distinct stoner-rock flavour. This is aided no doubt by some very Black Sabbath moments throughout, such as the Master of Reality-esque breakdown midway into 'Dice de Try'. Unfortunately, when Transworld Ultra Rock descends into dreaded cock-rock territory, as on 'Transamerica Ultra Rock', the results can be quite irritating. However, the band almost get away with it because of the obvious enjoyment they're gleaning from their craft, and there is a feeling of out and out rock and roll abandon that lifts this album above some of its contemporaries. If Witchcraft succeed at evoking the darker scale of 70s rock, then Eletric Eel Shock no doubt represent the hedonistic, tvs out of hotel windows and limos into swimming pools aspect of the era. So when vocalist Akihito Morimoto pulls an outrageously plagiarised Robert Plant histronic on 'Limousine', it's impossible not to smile at his sheer audacity. Yes, it's fairly silly stuff, and it's unlikely that anyone will be listening to this in 10 years time, but it achieves everything it sets out to, which is pretty much just to rock. .
Official Electric Eel Shock Website
Official Cargo Records Website
