Electric Mob
By Mike O’Cull
Brazilian hard rock outfit Electric Mob digs deep into the core elements of rock and roll on its debut album Discharge, which comes out June 12th, 2020 on Frontiers Records. The band uses heavy grooves, big riffs, and aggressive vocals to create songs that are full of old-school rock DNA from the 70s, 80s, and 90s that gets melded to more contemporary ideas and the group’s own original concepts. The resulting music has quickly made Electric Mob a serious contender on the worldwide scene. The tracks on Discharge are the work of four young, hungry musicians who want to make an impact on fans everywhere and, as such, come roaring out of your speakers from the record’s first moments. These are true believers in the power and glory of rock and roll and they play it with a life-or-death urgency that’ll awaken even the most jaded souls.
Electric Mob was formed in Curitiba, Brazil by Renan Zonta (vocals), Ben Hur Auwarter (guitar), Yuri Elero (bass), and André Leister (drums) and has quickly been recognized as one of the most promising new bands Brazil has produced in a long time. Brazilian rock fans will remember vocalist Renan Zonta as one of the most popular performers ever on the TV show The Voice Brazil. His YouTube videos have also rung up over three million views. Zonta’s vocal skills are absolutely stellar and Electric Mob is the perfect vehicle to position him as one of the top rock singers in the business. As a unit, the band is cohesive, fired up, and playing to win. Each member throws down everything they’ve got and their performances on Discharge deliver the goods required to rock stadiums.
After a brief atmospheric intro piece called “Awaken,” the record launches into the big, dangerous rock of “Devil You Know.” The track has a heavy blues base but the Mob cranks up the heat until you feel like Ol’ Scratch, himself, is lighting the fire. It’s a mighty cut that makes it abundantly clear that Electric Mob didn’t come to play. It’s impossible to ignore and does a good job of letting you know what’s in store for the rest of the album. “King’s Ale” starts with a nifty banjo and guitar figure but quickly drops the hammer and brings the noise. Vocalist Zonta makes the most of the song’s melodic chorus while guitarist Ben Hur Auwarter deals out churning rhythms and on-target leads. Ben’s guitar work throughout Discharge is memorable and impressive. It’s a certainty that rock guitar aficionados will want to know more about him once they hear this record.
“Your Ghost” is a moody and evocative heartbreak song about trying to exorcise a former lover’s spirit from the house, heart, and mind. Auwarter fills the track with killer acoustic and electric playing as Zonta spins out lyrics that ultimately evolve into a suicide note. It’s the furthest thing from a cheddar-drenched power ballad possible and acts as the emotional touchstone of the album. “123 Burn” is a more complex modern rock cut built on an off-kilter mid-tempo groove. It’s a cool downshift from the tracks before it and shows an entirely different side of the band. It’s epic in scope and unpredictable in nature but Electric Mob handles its business and makes it one of the best songs of this set. Other deep cut highlights include “Upside Down” and “Brand New Rope.” Electric Mob flexes a lot of muscle on Discharge, especially for a debut album. The group is intense, creatively mature, and has already forged a sound that’s sure to grab a great many people by the headphones. All you rockers out there need to get in on the ground floor of this one.
Listen to “King’s Ale”
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