The Morning After

I get asked a lot, “where are all the new rock bands?”

Here you go.

Victoria’s Ellice Blackout have been working hard on their debut record Villains. The record which comes out on September 10th, is 12 wailing guitar driven shredders.

Lead singer David Fraelic matches the fierce energy of the guitars and is able to punch through on songs like “Duct Tape,” “Blue Ribbon” and single “Dead Radio.”

It’s fists up and everyone singing along on “Give Up The Ghost.”

The record marches at a fairly consistent high intensity for most it’s run but for me, the stand out moments are when it backs off the throttle a bit like on “Weightless.”

Fraelic says that a lot of the lyrics are “quite personal.” Which reminds me, next time I see him, I’ll have to ask about the story behind “Bad Tattoo.”

His favourite song on the record is side one, track one, “I personally love ‘Duct Tape’ because it’s the perfect combination of pop and hooks but still coming across very hard. It’s got all my influences in one song.”

The band does a fun modern spin on a classic hard rock sound.

Ellice Blackout’s record release party is going down September 10th in Victoria at Sugar Nightclub.

Go with yourself.