While social media is awash with people in digital queues for AC/DC tickets or complaining about handling and delivery fees, MetalTalk Editor Steve Ritchie takes the opportunity to sing the praises of the superb upcoming young band Electron. The band recently released the new single Burning Inside from their forthcoming EP, Hollow.
I do miss The Rock Den. Halloween 2022 saw Stormbringer and Planet Fatale joined by Electron, a band I knew nothing about. This was not usual, as The Rock Den was a cherished venue for bringing in new bands on the ‘way up’ ladder.
We caught Scarlet Rebels there one month after releasing their debut album, Show Your Colours. Having signed with Earache Records, their second album, See Through Blue, would debut at No. 7 in the UK album chart just over two years later.
I was quite struck by Electron. First up on stage, I got a feeling of swagger and arrogance from them as they were ready for the go. As it turned out, this was not misplaced as they burst into their first number.
I don’t remember their setlist. There is nothing on Setlist FM of any of their shows. I do remember their energy and delivery, though. This was met with great enthusiasm and support from the punters there that night. Looking back, it was just over six months from their first Instagram post.
By the time of The Rock Den show, they had just released their debut single, Wake Up. It is a song that “invokes the angst of today’s youth culture,” the band said at the time. “An underground movement forced to stare at society without being able to make a difference. A full 1980s-styled modern metal tribute that screams out its bleak look at an almost Orwellian image of modern life as we know it.”
Other singles would follow. Sick And Wrong, which “symbolizes solitude, melancholy, madness, anxiety and fear,” is a beauty. The angst really flows with Jason Payne and his riffs and vocal styles. Bassist Joanna Hyde and drummer Nuno Bessa really shine, providing the stylish backbone to Paynes’ Wylde-inspired guitar squeals.
“The persona in this song, inspired by The Scream, E. Munch, is suffering a lot of pain,” the band said. “In the beginning, this person has hope that they will escape from the terror of their own mind. However, as the song evolves, they grow aware that the melancholy is eternal and revolt with their agony.”
Survivor would be released as a single before their debut album, Defiance, hit the shelves. This was a song that showcased Electron at their most aggressive.
Defiance would be released in September 2023. “We have worked tirelessly to create an album that is a true reflection of who we are, both as a band and as individuals,” the band said. “Our debut album, Defiance, is an expression of our commitment to breaking away from our past and forging a new future – a future full of creativity and passion.”
Electron will release their new EP Hollow on 24 May 2024. Burning Inside, the first song, should be massive. They worked with Romesh Dodangoda for the EP, and another step up in class beckons.
“We hope that our music will give you the strength to face life’s struggles, to prove to yourself that you can achieve great things, and to show that you are never alone,” the band said when releasing their debut. “This is only the beginning of our journey, and we are excited to see where it takes us.”
In the short term, the journey takes them to The Dev in March. After this, it is going to get very interesting. That swagger and arrogance at The Rock Den was very well placed and since then, I have watched them from afar.
You can see the attitude in the photos from that show. There is a song from The Rock Den performance on the band’s YouTube channel.
Social Media is a mess, but Electron ‘follows’ are larger than a number of signed bands. The Rock Den is sadly no more. Electron will, therefore, be the last Rock Den band known for going onto much greater things. They could be huge.
