THE BRONX CASKET CO. – Hellectric

The Bronx Casket Co. is the second –- and the at the time being clearly the brightest –- child of Overkill bassist DD Verni, founded in 1998 together with the very competent line-up of singer Myke “SLY” Hideous (ex. Misfits), guitarist Jack Frost (ex. Savatage and Seven Witches), keyboardist Charlie Calv (Shotgun Symphony), and Verni’s compatriot from Overkill, the very competent Tim Mallare on drums. Assisted by Symphony X guitar god Michael Romeo, who co-produced the album with Verni and is responsible for all of the orchestrations on the album, they produce a heavy, yet still very melodic, mix of Heavy Metal and Goth-Rock, which indeed is worth lending an ear to.

Hellectric shows a very mature and experienced band, which clearly brings a fresh attitude and some truly awesome hooks into a genre populated by way too many teenage sad-so-sad-pannelugg-down-their-face-downpicked-Epiphone bands.

Things take off immediately with the album’s first single “Little Dead Girl,” a very melodic, catchy, and cleverly arranged song with a hook to die for. A great choice for a single. The band has also made a Tim Burton-influenced animated video for this track –- and an equally great way to open an album.

If “Little Dead Girl” is catchy, then “Everything I Got” is the epitome of musical addiction. This is the perfect Pop/Goth/Metal tune with an awesome chorus, heavy guitars, and soft layers of keyboards to pomp things up a bit. Two incredible tracks, and there is more to come. “Dream of Angels” isn’t all the way up there with the two openers –- the vocal lines aren’t strong enough and it lacks a bit in terms of structure and arrangement –- but the pair of “Sherimoon” and “Bleed With Me” more than make up for that little downpoint.

“Sherimoon” is another soon-to-be smash hit, although a tad more Industrial sounding than its three predecessors. Those familiar with the musical taste of both, know that Marilyn Manson isn’t a highly rated persona in all industry circles, but the band manages to capture the best of the Manson-style Goth and mixes it with traditional Metal elements into something very entertaining. This is also evident in the epic “Bleed With Me,” where Romeo sweeps the pounding grooves into a very majestic orchestration. Together with overall very strong melodies, the track is highlighted by a downright marvellous chorus, arrogantly and convincingly executed by SLY.

“Motorcrypt” is 2 minutes of instrumental riffage, and very entertaining indeed. Unfortunately, “Let My People Go” doesn’t entirely live up to that standard. The chorus is cool, and the keyboard lines are a nice touch, but the riffing isn’t strong enough and the track lacks a bit of the fresh sound that highlights most of the other tracks on the album.

Next up is a 9-minute, doomed-to-death cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s classic “Free Bird,” complete with almost spoken, layered vocals, choirs, and a Sabbath-style groove. Cool indeed.

The main negative aspect with Hellectric is how a few songs are not nearly able to stand up to the majority -– which again is very, very good. “In My Skin” is one of those songs that never really makes it, and together with the rather horrible ballad “Mortician’s Lullaby” –- just hope that mortician was really tired –- it is the weakest song on the album.

“Can’t Stop the Rain” is (luckily) an entirely different matter … together with “Bleed With Me,” this is the most epic number on the album, and once again this is Class A stuff –- a very cleverly arranged composition highlighted by solid playing, great vocals, and awesome melodies throughout. Once again, the chorus really stands out — this is melancholic Goth/Metal at its catchiest (and best). “Live for Death,” which ends the album, is a slow and groovy number. Together with “Can’t Stop …” and the rendition of “Free Bird,” this is the track where the band’s Black Sabbath influences shine through the most. A great way to end an album.

Obviously this review has included a lot of praise, and this album is a real smasher. Except for two or three tracks, this is killer material through and through performed by one of the most solid line-ups in the genre, and a must-have for about everyone into melodic, heavy, melancholic music. Buy and/or/then-eventually-sometime die!