If you like Airbourne or AC/DC, this is pretty much an essential purchase.
I often say that what we need more of is hell raising French bands. Actually, I never say that, but after hearing the debut from this Gallic group I can only imagine that there must be some more of them waiting to crawl out of the woodwork, using French loaves as air guitars and making rude gestures across the Channel. From the name it’s sensible to expect some sort of attitude fuelled disc, but nothing quite prepares you for the aural assault that is the Hellectrokuters.
The band, made up of (and I’m serious here) Butcho, Stik, Dim and Rico, set out their stall right from the start, as ‘Hey Baby’ makes Airbourne seem like yesterdays news, which is no mean feat. It’s fast, furious and designed purely to get the listener to jump about punching his or her fist in the air before rooting round in a cupboard for a tennis racket and a headband. The Airbourne comparisons are unavoidable, because the template that the Aussie’s borrowed from AC/DC has been well and truly sampled here, with Butcho’s vocals holding down a bit of his own personality when he’s not screaming like a banshee (and doing it bloody well). Musically they do exactly what you’d expect, taking the basics of classic rock and roll boogie and giving them a good kick up the arse and, as a result, it’s all about the attitude and the massive riffs rather than the solos, although there’s plenty of neat little guitar touches where needed.
It goes without saying that if AC/DC had released these songs instead of the ones on the over praised ‘Black Ice’, then it would have been a rightly hailed return to classic form. It’s only right that bands like Airbourne, and now Hellectrokuters, who have the talent and the hunger that has slipped away from the faded giants, are allowed to carry the torch for this style of chest beating, whiskey fuelled rock and roll. ‘Rock N Roll Beggars’ is a bold statement with absolutely no weaknesses, simple and effective throughout.
If you like Airbourne or AC/DC, this is pretty much an essential purchase – even if they are French…
Alan Holloway
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