Electus – Rock N Roll Incarnate Part 1
Electus – Rock N Roll Incarnate Part 1
Self-released
Release Date: 2017
Running Time: 38:39
Review by Dawn King
8/10
After reviewing their first album “The Dark” it was only natural that I would review this eagerly awaited second offering from the West Midlands band Electus. With the title “Rock n Roll Incarnate Part 1”, I can honestly say I can’t wait for Part 2.
But let’s start at the beginning.
Formed in 2008 by rhythm guitarist/vocalist Russell Peake, it was clear he needed to form a band that would satisfy his hunger and passion for hard rock. Bassist Dan Smith joined in 2014 and the line-up was complete in 2015 when Mick Hales and Pete Checkly were recruited on drums and lead guitar respectively. And, for want of a better over-used cliché, the rest is history.
“The Dark” was a well-received album but it was clear from then this was a band that would be an acquired taste for some people. They are a marmite band, you either love them or you hate them, and, luckily for me, I love them. Part of my job as a reviewer is to find bands that are a bit quirky, that stand out from the rest in their genre…..and Electus sure do this!
Influenced by bands such as Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss, Megadeth, Rob Zombie, Opeth and Epica, to name but a few, Electus manage to combine all their influential elements along with some melodic chorus lines that creates music which conjures the full range of emotions. Says founding member Peake “if you can tap your feet, dance and sing to it, and I would buy it, then it’s in.”
I described their first album as a classic rock and roll album with a hint of grunginess and a pinch of country but this album takes them to another level. This is a hard rock album full of guitar driven riffs and ear splitting solos with a hard hitting rhythm section, and its Peake’s vocals that once again add that touch of uniqueness.
A lot of hard rock has become very stereotypical and boring in recent years but these guys show just what a spark of imagination can really do. The quirky nature of this band means they can produce a classic hard rock album but still manage to mix it up a little, making it stand out from the crowd and nothing captures this more than first single “Ticket to Nowhere.” With a video full of scantily clad women dancing around the band, it’s clear these guys are enjoying what they do. And so they should be.
Their music is infectious at every turn and is a must for anyone on the lookout for that “something different.”
I said in my last review that “this is a band who are destined for much bigger things” and this is the album that could potentially push them towards that success. And I have my fingers, and everything else, crossed for them.
Whether you love them or hate them, you can’t deny that Electus have an idiosyncrasy about them that sets them apart from others and in a world full of clichéd bands that all sound the same, this can only be a good thing! A great thing even!
I just hope they venture out further from the West Midlands and make their way down south because that would be a gig I would be in the front row for!
TRACKLISTING:
1. Ticket to Nowhere
2. I Wanted You
3. Slip Away
4. Saved
5. Another like Me
6. Freak Out
7. Light in The Sky
8. Running Around
9. Summertime
10. Angel Dust
LINE-UP:
Russel Peake – Vocals, rhythm Guitar
Mick Hales – Drums
Dan Smith – Bass Guitar
Pete Checkley – Lead Guitar
LINKS:
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