 Electric Frankenstein - Burn Bright, Burn Fast Review
by Dr. Travistein's Monster
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It's alive. It being the capitalist punk rock machine known as Electric Frankenstein. The salivating, pitchfork wielding fans of Electric Frankenstein, having been satiated by an appetizer of an EP earlier in the year, can now ready themselves for the main course. EF's newest full length release comes via TKO Records and makes the aforementioned EP feel like a half-eaten plate of cheese fries compared to the steak dinner the bands feeds you with Burn Bright, Burn Fast. There is no shortage of opportunism here by Sal Conzonieri and friends. The albums notes contain a merchandise giveaway, adds for two books of monster art, and a list of web sites supported by the band which also include details on how to have your own website added to the list. Everyone that thinks they know how hard it is to make a buck in the music business need look no further than this band and their boundless creativity in eliminating that problem. For all of the extra stuff you get when dealing with Electric Frankenstein, they back it all up with some killer rock and roll. To be sure, EF's bag of tricks is very small indeed, maybe a sandwich size Ziploc at the most. If you want a lengthy menu to choose from, this is not your band, but if you can deal with a one-sided index card with one beverage and the choice between, "Hamburger-Well Done" and "Hamburger-Rare" then come on in and grab a booth. Think early eighties LA and late sixties Detroit and you'll be in just about the right neighborhood. While decidedly punk throughout, traces of glam metal and the barely containable death punk of the Stooges leak from every seam. In any event it's all pedal to the metal on Burn Bright, Burn Fast. The title track, along with "Gone to the Other Room" and "New World Whore" are good examples of the hooky punk rock and roll favored by the band and recall bands like the Hellacopters with big choruses and ample soloing. "Everybody's Dead Again" is another standout song and is proof positive that three chords and a catchy little refrain are more than enough for a great song. "Well everybody's dead again, now I'm my only friend." Pretty much says it all, right? "Just For You" was the only song to seriously slow down the party, but even it has its charms, particularly the solo at the end. Balance is the key in the EF's generally outstanding production. All of the instruments are clear, including the vocals, but nothing really jumps out and dominates the sound. At a healthy length, around forty-five minutes or so, Burn Bright, Burn Fast is a much better buy than "Super Kool" and holds together really well for a band that releases so much material. Complete with their usual, stellar, cover art, the whole package works and may be the best release by Electric Frankenstein in quite a while. While "Rock City Rocks" closes the show with an almost Kiss-like fan anthem, the band has tacked three cover tunes at the end of the record, a nice touch that reminds you that this a band having fun with whatever they do. The Music Machine song and the Flo & Eddie cover are throwaways, but their take on Candy-O by the Cars is a nice way to end the proceedings. While they're not exactly reinventing the wheel on the slop cart, Electric Frankenstein continues, particularly on this album, to be worthy of the long chase to the windmill. So grab a torch and some sort of gardening instrument and storm your local record shop for this one.
CD Info and Links
Electric Frankenstein - Burn Bright, Burn Fast Label:TKO Records
Rating:
Track Listing:
1. Burn Bright, Burn Fast
2. Everything Dead Again
3. Fired Up For Action
4. Gone To The Other Room
5. Spit It Out!
6. Just For You
7. Hey! (Kiss Your Love Goodbye)
8. New World Whore
9. Life In Rewind
10. Electric Misery
11. Rock City Rocks
12. Talk, Talk - (Music Machine Cover)
13. Moving Targets - (Flo & Eddie Cover)
14. Candy-O - (Cars Cover)
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