Electric Eel Shocks beginnings stretch back to when vocalist/guitarist Akihito Morimoto and bassist Kazuto Maekawa were still in high school. Both fascinated with western rock bands, the two started to play in cover bands featuring the songs of their favourite artists such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and more.
A few years later, they moved to Tokyo and each of them played in different bands. Around this period, they also came across drummer Tomoharu Ito (nicknamed Gian). First starting as a 3-man band, the band slowly started to pick up more and more musicians along the way, ending up with a total of eleven band members. When they realized that didnt quite work out because of the large amount of people, Electric Eel Shock stripped down to the core and has remained a 3-piece band since then.
One could say that they were rather unpopular in that period, as they didn't receive many good offers to perform, they mostly had to release their CDs on their own since no label was interested in them, and so the three of them decided to try their luck overseas. In 1999 they toured the United States for the first time. Though they came across many challenges while touring, the three members seemed to enjoy clearing these hurdles and continued to tour overseas, expanding their activities from America only, to Europe as well starting in 2003.
The band steadily grew more popular and after the release of their album Go Europe! in 2004, which was released on various labels across the globe, their success started to rise. The album received good reviews and as they performed in the famous De Melkweg concert hall in the Netherlands, they stumbled across the producer Attie Bauw, renowned for his work with Judas Priest, the Scorpions and more. Being able to understand the band very well, they recorded the album Beat me with Bauw.
The album turned out to be a big success. Before, the band had always been struggling financially and living from the money they made with selling CDs and merchandise during their tours. With the money made from Beat me, they decided to start their own label, Double Peace. It was on this label that they released their newest album Transamerica Ultra Rock, which was produced by Attie Bauw again.
Around this period the band also returned to their home country Japan, where there had been quite some talk about their success in the US and Europe. While they hadnt been able to get good offers from concert halls or events before, they had a large number to choose from now.
Electric Eel Shocks success only continues to grow and we can be sure that the members will surely entertain the audience with their crazy live shows for many years to come!
