Here’s hard rock from Manchester that actually sounds like it’s straight from the States, with its hints of misogyny, love for horror, a filthy-mouthed vocalist and of course, heavy guitar riffs. You’d agree with that, except it’s widely debated that hard rock and rock ‘n roll did in fact originate in the UK, with the likes of Led Zeppelin.
But that’s the Goddamn Electric for you, formed in January 2010 and out with their debut full length album, Snakebite .
Straight from the opening song, ‘Loyal to the Sinner’, you know this band’s main aim with a 10-track album – to shove loud rock into our ears. Of course, there are several reasons why hard rock isn’t as appreciated as it used to be, sometimes associated with a certain era or ‘type’ of people. While Goddamn Electric does, in terms of themes, reach out to anyone who likes to live on the wild side, the music is very much tailored to please arenas and stadiums. Sample ‘Morning Injection’ which rips through in three minutes, while ‘Revive and Survive’ is as raucous as it gets, with the throwaway gang choruses of “I’m not dead inside.”
Vocalist Tommy Mitten has got strength enough to channel Metallica’s James Hetfield, as well as slower, softer vocals, showing off versatility on the title track ‘Snake Bite’, where every member of the band takes the spotlight, from scorching solos to a locked-in bass and a drummer that’s really beating into the kit. There’s a spot of diversity on the mellow seven-and-a-half-minute number ‘Holding Me’, clearly influenced by almost every hard rock band around from Zeppelin to ZZ Top. It’s only ‘Too Dirty’ which sounds like the band pushing a certain formula too strongly.
It does come across as a bit unoriginal on the first few listens, immediately recalling AC/DC, but with more solos and certainly more filth in the lyrics (although that is expected from a song with a title like that). After you spot something like that, you tend to skip it.
But the rest of Snakebite is exactly what any hard rock fan would want – heavy, in-your-face tunes with a lot of energy in every member. With a few festivals and clubs in the UK already checked off their list, this is one band India wouldn’t mind rocking out to very soon. Follow the Goddamn Electric on Facebook.com/th goddamnelectric.
The Goddamn Electric – Snakebite
Rs 600 (CD)
