Electric Citizen – Helltown
Label: Riding Easy Records
Two years after the release of their 2nd album Higher Time, Cincinnati face rockers Electric Citizen have returned with album #3, Helltown. Helltown is 30 minutes of no fucking joke, in your face (or in your bong) rock and roll. I was a huge fan of Electric Citizen’s debut Sateen and while I loved the follow up, Higher Time, something just seemed amiss for me. I’m not sure just what it was but whatever itch it left behind, Helltown came in to scratch it and leave some fucking marks in its wake.
Electric Citizen is a band that I am proud to say that I feel like I have watched grow right before my very eyes. With each album the band seems to come into their own as artists and along with each album comes a new level of confidence and the band continues to grow in their craft of songwriting. “Heart Attack” kicks things off and right out the gates like a fucking rampant rodeo bull, the song just charges right at you and this definitely had me exclaiming “FUCK YES!” out loud, to myself. No, that’s not fucking crazy. That’s what a great song should make you do.
“Cold Blooded Blue” has this undeniable groove that had me moving in my chair and “Father Time” made a complete 180 degree turn pulling me into this almost hypnotic state with its haunting, ethereal vibe that is very reminiscent of something you’d hear on Black Widow’s Sacrifice album. “Ripper” lives up to its name and without a doubt the showstopper here. “Ripper” has this awesome mix of Detroit style rock mixed with classic 70’s Judas Priest. This song really showcases just how far vocalist Laura Dolan has come and it features her strongest performance to date. She really seems to have pushed herself and the result is fucking outstanding.
If Sateen was one small step and Higher Time a slightly larger step, it’s safe to say that Helltown is one giant fucking leap for hard rock & roll music. When websites like vice.com and noisey.com are proclaiming that rock n’ roll is dead like everyone’s been saying for decades, it’s just nice to know that bands like Electric Citizen exist loudly, proudly, and flying a huge middle finger back at them.
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