Last month California hard rock legends Tesla released the first single from their 2019 album of the same album, “Shock.” Upon first listen, I have to say that I was a bit taken back by the fact that the song kicked off with a drum machine. Once the song kicked in it was definitely Tesla but it wasn’t the same ol’ Tesla we’ve been used to for the last 30 years or so. This is Tesla taking a bold step into new frontiers and honestly, I love to see them doing this. One of the things that I always loved about Tesla was their ability to stay relevent without comprimise.
Tesla’s new album, Shock, was produced by Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen which means that of course he is going to bring in some of that Def Leppard influence sound and production wise. The first single, “Shock,” has definitely received some mixed reviews from the fans but for the most part, Tesla fans seem to be pretty excited about it because even though it’s a different step for them, it still sounds like Tesla.
Another gripe everyone seems to be having is the use of a drum machine in parts of the song. They also have been saying shit like, “What happened to your old motto of “No Machines?” Well, remember when Iron Maiden boasted on their albums that there were no synthesizers and then they put out Somewhere in Time that featured, surprise, synth guitars. C’mon folks. A band is allowed to expand and dip their toes into new waters. Hearing these new songs live recently I found that they fit perfectly in the set among the other classic Tesla songs. I think Shock is going to be a “shock” to most but so far, to me, it’s been a pleasent surprise.
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