Techno metal hybridation has been around for more than thirty years, with industrial bands like Fear Factory or Rammstein taking the dehumanized, martial electronic beats and cold synths of Kraftwerk and fusing them with the physical force of thrash and hardcore punk. Electric Callboy pushes that idea even closer to the dance floor, colliding the party instincts of both club culture and rock shows into a manic collage designed for one thing only, fun. There is no angst and no aggression in their anthems, but a sense of joy and an almost ritualistic exorcism of bad vibes through dancing, jumping, moshing and screaming at the top of your lungs. If Charli XCX is hyper pop, then welcome to hyper rock. Hypa hypa rock, even. Do not look for substance or virtuosity. There is no social commentary, no satire, no jazz detours or world music experimentation. There is only the dance floor.
That does not mean the ritual is without its darker undercurrents. Quite the opposite. The urge to escape usually comes from a shared malaise that needs to be purged somehow. To paraphrase Beckett, when you are up to your neck in shit, there is nothing left to do but dance. This is how Electric Callboy have conquered the world’s biggest metal festivals, from Wacken to Hellfest, with a purely physical and kinetic sound designed to move your feet and snap your neck, flushing anxiety, doubt, hang ups, fear and frustration out of your system. It may seem shallow on the surface, but it also feels necessary, a product of the times we live in: when the universe is on the brink of collapse, what else is left but dance on the ashes?
And don't let the glitzy, silly stage costumes, infectious melodies and relentless grooves fool you: Electric Callboy is also crushingly heavy. The techno accoutrements and singalong boy band choruses are really just the seasoning. The deathcore element remains the most prevalent ingredient in this ungodly goulash. Harsh vocals, pummeling blast beats, nu metal riffs, and those kinetic breakdowns that drop the room to its knees before the inevitable eruption back into full scale thrashing and moshing. With Electric Callboy, one thing's for sure when it comes to throwing a party: they've got the moves.
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