Electric Frankenstein


Electric Frankenstein is an American band from Whippany, Clifton, and other areas of New Jersey, founded by Sal Canzonieri. Their music is generally considered punk rock, but includes elements of hard rock and heavy metal as well. Because of this, they have sometimes been referred to as AC/DC meets The Dead Boys - high energy punk rock and roll that combines the raw and energetic sounds of Punk Rock and Garage Punk with elements of hard rock played by bands like MC5, Stooges, AC/DC, Kiss, Mott the Hoople, Alice Cooper, and so on.
Releasing over 100 records all over the world since 1992, Electric Frankenstein's vinyl singles and albums, CDs, and posters proved to be highly influential, helping to spark a rock revival among the youth of the time throughout the world from the US to Europe to Scandinavia to Japan, known as the New Rock Revolution. Many new bands soon played the Punk Rock & Roll style that began with Electric Frankenstein's combining of Punk Rock, Hard Rock, and Heavy Metal, greatly influencing such bands as The Hellacopters, Gluecifer, Turbonegro, and many more.

History

The band was first formed in 1989 out of the ashes of famed NYC space punk band The Thing, and continued to develop their sounds between 1990 and 1991, by brothers Sal and Dan Canzonieri. With Sal on guitar and Dan on bass, their first line-up was with Frankie Orlandoni on vocals, Jim Foster on lead guitar and John Caton on drums. Within one year, Steve Miller took over as singer/vocalist and eventually also played lead guitar. Miller took time off while recording a side project, and Scott Wilkins of Verbal Abuse & Condemned to Death took over vocals for two years, after which Steve Miller returned on vocals and lead guitar. John Steele and Rob Sefcik took over alternately playing drums during the last 15 years. They developed a strong following in New York City and by 1995, they toured nationally and internationally. After releasing singles on a handful of independent labels, they released their first vinyl EP, The Time Is Now, in 1995 that was released on CD with tracks from 7" singles as their first full-length album. Since then, they have released over 10 albums with almost every album being released on a different label.
Electric Frankenstein was one of the first musical groups to advertise on the internet, establishing a basic webpage in 1991. Canzonieri later created the critically acclaimed series of compilations called "A Fistful of Rock & Roll", which collected and highlighted all of the best of the new rock bands, collectively known as the New Rock Revolution. There have been 13 volumes of the series so far, published on various record labels. A second series is forthcoming, known as "A Fistful More of Rock & Roll".
Electric Frankenstein released an art book containing their record covers and concert posters, designed by notable underground artists such as Coop, Kozik, Johnny Ace, Art Chantry, Dirty Donny, Peter Bagge, and many more. The book was titled, Electric Frankenstein - High Energy Punk Rock & Roll Poster Art and was published by Dark Horse Comics. The book chronicled every single poster and record cover of their first 10 years.
The book Electric Frankenstein! is featured in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame archives. A second book documenting their second decade of artwork has been published "Son of Electric Frankenstein - More High Energy Rock Art".

Previous bands

Lead guitarist Jim Foster was an original guitarist for Adrenalin OD. Vocalist/Guitarist Steve Miller was guitarist/vocalist in the Gutter Kids and the Crash Street Kids. Bassist Dan Canzonieri was in Melvis Kepper, Empire Hideous. Dan also played with The Shadow Project and Christian Death, both bands featuring original vocalist Rozz Williams.
Founding member of Electric Frankenstein, Rhythm Guitarist Sal Canzonieri, was in Noise Rock/Post Punk Acid Rock band The Thing, from the mid-1980s into the early-1990s. The Thing were one of the first original founders of the early east coast stoner rock scene, along with Monster Magnet, Bench, Hed, The Blood Farmers, and others. The Thing played live shows at CBGB and the Continental with White Zombie, Angel Rot, The Blood Farmers, The Unsane, Von Lmo, Royal Trux, Honeymoon Killers, Railroad Jerk, Nice Strong Arm, Cop Shoot Cop, Core, Daisycutter, Bench, and many others. The Thing were known for the totally original sounding music and intense wild live shows in NYC and UK with strobe lights, smoke, nude vampire go-go girls, split-screen films, fireworks, buckets of pigs blood, live worms, horror film sound samples, and more. Their shows later inspired White Zombie, fellow friends, to go into this visual direction for their live shows. The band grew popular in New York City and Europe, and toured the United Kingdom in 1991, where they recorded a John Peel Session for the BBC, produced by Dale Griffin, which was released on vinyl by Dutch East India Records - Peel Sessions series. John Peel said this was one of his favorite sessions and one of the very few that he has attended. One of only two or three bands that have had their full Peel Session played more than twice on his radio show.

In other media

The band was chosen by the Frankenstein Society to represent the release of the Frankenstein stamp by the United States Postal Service.
Electric Frankenstein's song "It's All Moving Faster" was covered by Sweet on their 2012 album, New York Connection. Two different versions of their cover are featured on the 2014 reissue of New York Connection.
The band's music and/or graphic art has been featured in video games, such as Tony Hawk's Underground, TV shows such as Viva La Bam, The X-Files, Nitro Circus, Fantasy Factory, Dawson's Creek, and movies such as Signs, Jackass, and American Psycho 2, among others.

Members

Current

Albums