Electric Frankenstein

Burn Bright, Burn Fast! (2005)

Jordan Rogowski

Electric Frankenstein possess something that most punk bands today don't.

Raw conviction.

There's no arguing the point. Burn Bright, Burn Fast! is forty-five minutes of unrelenting punk fury. It's all here. Everything a good punk record needs, and everything so many mediocre punk records are missing. There's no simple answer for what those albums are missing, but I can undoubtedly say, this will not be an album to disappoint on any plane. The title track starts the album off, and it starts off at a relatively slow pace, but quickly picks up steam with some great rhythms and vocals to match. And by the third song, the band has already been kicked into full gear.

"Fired Up for Action" starts with a tight bass part, but quickly the scathing, hoarse vocals of Steve Miller kick it up a notch. The real action starts when Miller and rhythm guitarist Sal Canzonieri start lighting things up with terrific dueling guitar action, until Miller lets out a scream from hell, and the rest of the band comes back in to finish the track. The following songs slow down the action a bit, but the band stays true to form, and none of the momentum previously gained goes out the window. The mayhem may have slowed down a bit, but nobody let Miller know, as both his rhythms and solos continue to be a fantastic example of what the band is capable of. Miller's sneer is just as present as his guitar, and again, no matter the pace, he rips through the lyrics with reckless abandon, to destructive results.

About halfway through the record, Electric Frankenstein catch a strong second wind. "Life in Rewind" is one of the strongest efforts on the album, encompassing perfectly all that they've been building on and working with thus far. The vocals are absolutely menacing, and the guitar, bass, and drum work won't offer any sort of reprieve. They just keep on coming and keep on coming harder than they were going before. "Talk, Talk" sounds like somewhat of a punk rock sea-shanty in parts, with a real sing-song feel throughout that's only accented by the guitar work. That, more than anything, is overwhelmingly impressive throughout the entire time listening to the album: Both guitarists are just spot on. There were no instances whatsoever where things sounded out of place, were too fast or slow, or did anything but sound perfect to the vocals they were flying under.

If you're looking for a complaint about this album, you won't find it here. It's loud, brash, and extremely technically sound. Oozing a raw punk ethic from every pore, this is the embodiment of every band your parents have ever hated.