Electric Magma – Coconut Banger’s Ball (Around Ahead Records)
By Kevin McHugh
May 1, 2007
You may not know it to look at them, but Canada's Electric Magma is a study in contradictions. Their music causes contact highs, yet the lads claim to indulge only in booze, specifically beer. Their press handout says they love the decade of the hippies (I'm guessing the 70s decade, not the 60s decade), yet without knowing them, you might easily guess them to be GQ models or stockbrokers, based on their physical appearance. In concert they concentrate very seriously on delivering the psychedelic heaviness, yet their albums have titles like 'Karoake Bitch Slap' or have cover art featuring aardvarks wearing cowboy hats. Canadians. Go figure!
One thing is certain, they're hallaciously nice guys, and their new album, 'Coconut Bangers Ball,' carries their past strengths forward while incorporating a couple of interesting twists. For one thing, this instrumental trio now has vocals on a couple of tunes, courtesy of Puddy's Pauolo Rizzo. He's a belter from the John Garcia school, and he sounds pretty damned good with the Magma boys. Not better than their instrumental stuff, not worse, just different. I like 'em both ways. For another, this album is alot more uptempo then the other EM I've heard. It's nice to hear the energy and speed adding depth to their sound, but I liked 'Snail the Wah' just fine, so again: not better, not worse. They've cleverly incorporated the notorious "Alice Bowie" riff from the classic Cheech & Chong 'Earache My eye' sketch in 'The Chong Song' (get it?), adding further evidence (if any were needed) that these dudes love the '70s.
What hasn't changed is the wicked tone of the bass and guitar, the rock-solid drumming, and the fierce riffing. 'Working the Red Eye' has that bass wah I love to hear, thick with chewy tone and riffs to match. It's also one of the two songs with vocals. It's more uptempo then we're used to, but the vocals also make the band sound more accessible and conventional. This could be a good or a bad thing, depending on your point of view. 'Beer Can Chicken Jam' sports more wicked bass fuzz along with some spacy guitar, 'Atomic Soothsayers and Bovine Maidens' is great muscle car driving music, replete with big-as-a-house drum fills, and 'Louder than Sixty at Ten Miles' has great complex riffing and some wild guit leads.
The truth is, during my listening for this review I couldn't stop thinking about seeing them live at Doom or Be Doomed in Baltimore in April of '07. The volume and tone loosened my fillings, plus I gained a real appreciation of how cool it is when the bass takes over the song's lead, leaving the rhythm to the guitar and drums. The band likes to do that at times. Bottom line: You can't appreciate any band, especially Electric Magma, without seeing them live. It really rounds out your perspective! So catch 'em live, then buy 'em a round afterwards. It's a win/win.
Visit the Electric Magma website at www.electricmagma.com
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