Review by Greg on August 2, 2023.

It's not everyday that I find myself checking out the first work of an emerging rock band from Brazil, especially if composed of middle-aged musicians. But Electric Sky caught my curiosity for the pedigree of the involved members. Would you believe me if I told you that 3/5 of the lineup appeared on Attomica's Disturbing The Noise is here? Exactly, we get brothers João Márcio and João Paulo Francis reunited at the guitars, and vocalist Fábio Moreira as well. I probably don't need to hide the fact that it's unlikely I would have stopped by otherwise. In any case, I'm here, so let's see what their self-titled debut has to offer.

So, Electric Sky follows a rather straightforward hard rock structure, with a couple of twists. Tracks like 'Dig Down Deep' or 'Stand Up' might qualify for what I usually refer to as something along the lines of 'pub rock', as they really convey the idea of some guys playing no-frills hard 'n' heavy, either inspired from Motörhead or Judas Priest's more rocking moments, for the glory, and maybe a couple of beers if they're lucky, in a small club of a small town. On the upside, 'Altered States' and 'The Vessel', other than being the first songs you'll encounter, are also the only that ones that break out of the norm for a bit, except for the uplifting, melodic parts of 'Life Ain't Easy', and end up being the most convincing on display. The opener in particular brings what's basically the only tempo change of the entire album to the table, with the bridge kicking up the pace before the solo. Yeah, the solos – perfectly adequate hard rock leads, not too extreme and not too lame, just like Moreira's vocals are predictably of the gravelly mid-range variety, avoiding unrealistic attempts at highs and focusing on a solid impersonation of some vocalist I can't quite put my finger on.

This is arguably the last album you could expect something mind-blowing out of, although the only clear skippable track comes at 'Nightmare', a word I'm trying my darned best not to use to describe its terrible chorus. Apart from that, if they're having fun, more power to them – not to mention that the three ex-Attomica members will always have my respect, and Electric Sky's s/t isn't one of those records that make you lose that.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10