Imperial State Electric Honk Machine

2015, In one sense, Imperial State Electric has been an extension of The Hellacopters, especially if you look at the comments made on social media by fans of both bands. But then it's a familiar formula for Imperial State Electric. Slip back into the classic rock coat circa sometime between the mid-Sixties to mid-Seventies, adding a strong influence of guitar rock and power pop. The sound is anything from The Beatles to The Raspberries, Rolling Stones to early Alice Cooper, maybe with brevity and rawness of Kiss, even early punk. In this motif, HONK MACHINE is a study in contrasts. Their sound is bigger now, more loud, even more lush, yet equally stripped down and skeletal. Maybe that's how they built these songs. Start from with the bones of analog and tube amps and then add the flesh of brisk guitars, bold melodies, and vivacious vocal harmonies. Whatever the scenario, it's working. It's depth and richness, wrapped in brevity. Power guitar pop in three or so minutes or less.