Once, the Electric Boys were the hottest thing to come out of Sweden. They had just released their second version of their debut album, Funk-o-Metal Carpet Ride and recorded some new songs for that one with then hotshot producer Bob Rock for the American market and were armed and ready for a world-wide launching. The album did ok, but when it was time for the so important follow-up, they overdid just about everything. The album in question, Groovus Maximus, was a really good album but contained far too many songs and the simplicity that made the debut so good, now felt over produced and strained. Guitarist Franco Santunione and drummer Niclas Sigevall then jumped the ship and left band leaders Conny Bloom (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Andy Christell (bass) to themselves. They replaced Nic and Franco with Martin Thomander (guitar) and Thomas Broman (drums), released the half arsed Freewheelin’ which failed completely and the band split. For forever, we all thought. Conny formed the good, but ill-fated Titanic Truth, laid that down and released a couple of great solo albums and then he and Christell joined Hanoi Rocks for two albums. When Hanoi called it quits, Bloom and Christell decided it was time to see if there was any life left in Electric Boys. Sigevall and Santunione joined in and a tour proved that the boys still had what it takes and the next step was of course, a new album.
And what a killer album they made. This is the logic follow-up to their debut. All the elements of a good Electric Boys record are here. Apart from killer songs we get the funked up hard rock mixed with mid sixties Beatles influences that were the Boys brand from get go. The production is very much in your face and down to earth with a raunchiness and groove that is so important for a band like this. Opener ”Referlord” is a butt kicker, ”My Heart’s Not For Sale” is a classic Electric Boys tune with a hot groove and first single ”Father Popcorn’s Magic Oysters” (???) has that Beatles-esque melody with a funky groove. Typical Electric Boys sounding and it should be a hit. ”10 000 Times Goodbye” is a killer ballad, maybe their best ballad yet. ”The House Is Rockin’” swings like crazy, ”Welcome To The High Times” might be the funkiest track they ever recorded and ”Rollin’ Down The Road” is a fine groover, perfect as company while driving in your car with the roof down on a hot summer day.
This might just be one of the best come back albums in a long, long time. It sounds exactly how I want them to sound, the way they knocked me off my rocker some 25 years ago. This is Electric Boys’ best album since their debut and every song on here will work excellent live. Hopefully, they will keep on going and release more albums, because I’m sure there is more where this came from.
Jon Wilmenius (8/10)
Tracklist:
01. Reeferlord
02. My Heart’s Not For Sale
03. Father Popcorn’s Magic Oysters
04. Angel In An Armoured Suit
05. Ten Thousand Times Goodbye
06. The House Is Rockin’
07. Welcome To The High Times
08. Sometimes U Gotta Go Look For The Car
09. Put Your Arms Around Me
10. The Day The Gypsies Came To Town
11. Rollin’ Down The Road
12. A Mother Of A Love Story
13. Chickalicious (Japanese Bonus Track)
14. Down On Shakin’ Street (Japanese Bonus Track)
15. Nowhere To Go But Up (Japanese Bonus Track)
CD & Festival reviews 
I like what I’m hearing!
I kinda thought you would. They are recording a new album right now.
When their first couple albums came out, they were just on the periphery of what was getting a lot of airplay here. Also being in a medium-sized town records like this were sometimes hard to find. So I never really heard the first two, just the singles/videos that were sometimes played.
Ok. So you missed out then. If you can find Funk-O-Metal Carpet Ride and Groovus Maximus cheap, then buy them. I can almost guarantee that you will like them a lot. Buy this one as well, if you can. It’s their best album to date.