Hailing from presumably the gloomiest corner of Cincinnati, Electric Citizen join the ranks of Blood Ceremony, Jex Thoth, and Jess And The Ancient Ones as flagbearers for the revival of occult rock. The band’s second album, Higher Time has its roots planted in 60s psychedelia married to proto-metal riffs – imagine Grace Slick fronting Blue Cheer and that’s a close approximation of their sound. The album opens with Evil, a track that reeks of doom, powered by guitarist Ross Dolan and guest keys player Andrew Higley whose organ sounds the perfect note of gothic despair.
Dolan conjures all manner of weird and unsettling tones from his fretboard – whatever effects pedal produced that lead solo in Social Phobia must run on pure brimstone. Frontwoman Laura Dolan can unleash the wail of the damned on the sludgiest songs like Natural Law, but she has the power and energy to give uptempo rockers like Devils In The Passing Time and Golden Time a bruising kick up the backside. This is the ideal soundtrack for a summer spent exploring untended graveyards while contemplating the inexorable shortening of the days. Don’t go towards the light – embrace the darkness!
