22 Nov 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Voodoo Bloo - Single Review: Skin

28 Oct 2021 // A review by Kev Rowland

I first came across Voodoo Bloo at the time of their debut album, Jacobus, which was released towards the end of last year. Back then the band was pretty much ex-Lucifer Gunne frontman Rory McDonald, but now he has been joined by Daniel Maslen (guitars), Oli Cass (bass) and Jackson Kidd (drums) while still providing guitar and vocals himself. When I reviewed the album, I felt he was channelling a lot of honorary kiwi Serj Tankian and while that is still the case, there is no doubt that other forces are now being brought to bear. Rory says on this song he has been influenced by King Crimson, King Gizzard & Radiohead, which is also why they make me think of No Broadcast, but we also do need to mention Hawkwind during the finale, and while we are about let’s bring in indie bands such as Arctic Monkeys.

This is a real grubbling builder of a monster rocker, which starts with some Peter Hook bass and swirling keyboards before we gently work our way into the song itself. The keyboards and guitars combine to create a real ambience around the vocals, which are kept very much to the front of the production. As we move through the song, which feels far longer than 3 ½ minutes, more layers are added with some Simple Minds guitar notes, but always with the rhythm section keeping it tight and allowing experimentation to take place on top. A minute from the end and we have syncopation, and the song really starts to shift and move, changing direction and becoming more intense with each bar, with everyone starting to add to the piece. Finally, the band are rocking and blasting away, and it suddenly stops, just like that! I found myself staring at the laptop the first time it happened as the band was in such full flight that I just did not expect it at all.

The guys are currently in the studio recording their second album, The Blessed Ghost, and it is certainly going to be interesting to see what that is like as this is rammed full of different influences and definitely worth checking out.

Rating: ( 4 / 5 )
 

About Voodoo Bloo

Voodoo Bloo are an energetic young alternative rock band influenced by artists such as My Bloody Valentine, Interpol, Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys.




Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Voodoo Bloo

Releases

Dead-end Rodeo
Year: 2024
Type: Album
The Blessed Ghost
Year: 2022
Type: Album
Jacobus
Year: 2020
Type: Album

Other Reviews By Kev Rowland

Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland - 07/07/2023
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
Rain - Single Review: Love and War
15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
Read More...
Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
Read More...
Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
Read More...
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
Read More...
This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
Read More...
View All Articles By Kev Rowland

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • APT.
    ROSÉ And Bruno Mars
  • DIE WITH A SMILE
    Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars
  • BIRDS OF A FEATHER
    Billie Eilish
  • TASTE
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
    Gracie Abrams
  • ESPRESSO
    Sabrina Carpenter
  • SAILOR SONG
    Gigi Perez
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
    Shaboozey
  • GOOD LUCK, BABE!
    Chappell Roan
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem