Mass of the Fermenting Dregs S/T Acidman Life Blotto Singles Collection 2004-2007 Boris Smile Electric Eel Shock/ASAKUSA JINTA Transamerica Ultra Rock/Sky ZERO Mugen Minus Shinda Hazu no Boku no Tabi BREAKfAST Classic Six Packs Sokabe Keiichi blue Pistol Valve Tsunamic Girls From Tokyo Mirror On, Then, In		Electric Eel Shock/ASAKUSA JINTA Transamerica Ultra Rock/Sky ZERO Released: Unknown Reviewer: Graeme Jarvie (2007.11.14) Tracklist Transworld Ultra Rock: 01 - I Can't Hear You 02 - Big Mistake 03 - Dice De Try 04 - Joe 05 - Joe II 06 - Kill the Weekend 07 - I Want War 08 - Transamerica Ultra Rock 09 - Limousine 10 - Baby 11 - All My Music 12 - Lovin' You Sky ZERO: 01 - ZERO Introduction 02 - Sky ZERO 03 - RIDE AND BEND 04 - RIVERSIDE DANCE (GAMATI) 05 - A PARADISE ROCK 06 - CROWS DANCE 07 - TEARS AND DANCE 08 - UTUKUSHIKI TENNEN 09 - TOKYO EASTEND ROCKERS 10 - VIVA BOOM BOOM 11 - MASSUGU NI Review Don't you hate it when you don't get a joke? Everyone around you is laughing and repeating the punch-line to themselves while you're sitting there wondering what all the fuss is about. Electric Eel Shock's new album Transworld Ultra Rock is the aural equivalent of that and the joke isn't even funny. Brent Hinds from Mastodon has labeled EES as "nothing short of awesome," the band's website says they "are a glorious celebration of Classic Rock, Punk and Metal" and "a true power trio who make fresh and unique music from the time before rock became fractured into a diverse multitude of sub-genres." Not only is the second statement oxymoronic, it's just not true. EES may be a "power trio" (i.e., they make a lot of noise), but their music is as fresh and unique as a month-old onigiri. Think of the cliche-ridden bar bands that appear in films like Wayne's World and Airheads. Once you have that vision clear in your mind, repeatedly bang your head against the nearest solid object - that's how much fun listening to Transworld Ultra Rock is. "Dice De Try" is the band's take on Jane's Addiction, circa 1989, and it's the only time this album comes close to rising above cringe-inducing mediocrity. It's hard not to take singer Aki Morimoto at his word when he announces on "Joe II," "I've got a knife, cut my face/I've got a knife, cut me deep." It seems too good an offer to pass up. From the ridiculous to the sublime. When the press release came through anouncing that JapanFiles now had a "hardcore marching band" on the roster my interest was instantly piqued. The ASAKUSA JINTA album Sky ZERO was promptly downloaded and has been played a ridiculous number of times since. On their own AJ sound fantastic, but an even better way to appreciate them is by playing Sky ZERO after Transworld Ultra Rock. It gives you an idea of how relieved Jesus must have been when he rolled back the rock and headed out into the resurrection. Yes, it's that fucking good. Imagine Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller on a dark and woozy psychotropic trip that takes in mariachi, ska, swing, the theme tune from Benny Hill, heavy-riffing rock and polka. Got it? That's just the first three songs. This is what "fresh and unique" music sounds like. Album opener "ZERO Introduction" is the kind of rollocking track Les Négresses Vertes would be proud of; "RIVERSIDE DANCE (GAMATI)" is the theme song in-waiting for any future Jerry Bruckheimer adaptation of Death in the Afternoon; and "A PARADISE ROCK" deserves to be a huge summer hit every year until the sun goes supernova. ASAKUSA JINTA look cool and sound like no other band you've ever heard. Best hardcore marching band in the world? No contest. back to reviews
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