01. Brain
If you're unfamiliar with Manchester's Voodoo Blood, they're definitely a band to check out. Musically, they have a 'Modern Retro' sound coupling Blues and Hard Rock, immediately bringing to mind classic acts like Led Zeppelin, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Black Sabbath, but with that all-important contemporary twist. Their big dirty bass guitar and overall crushingly heavy lo-fi rhythm also makes me think of hugely popular acts like Royal Blood and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as more underground artists like Fu Manchu and Black Moth. Heavy Blues is basically timeless and Voodoo Blood are masters of this craft, taking those fat grooves that we already love so much and turning them into something, well.. 'fresh'.
What really sets Voodoo Blood apart from the pack is their lead singer, The Voodoo Woman (AKA Kim Jennett), who is an absolute powerhouse of a vocalist. Not only has she got an impressive range and an overall crazy set of skills, but every note that comes out of her mouth sounds fantastic. Her voice is simply full of Soul. A gift like this doesn't go unnoticed, and she's already worked with other more established artists such as Myke Gray (guitarist from Skin).
Fresh Hell is Voodoo Blood's second EP. It has a better production than their debut and is certainly a step forward both sonically and in terms of writing. Opener, Brain, is probably my favourite track here. It has an epic quality and showcases the band perfectly, in particular the diverse vocal styles of The Voodoo Woman. It's as dark as it is catchy and evolves so naturally that you barely notice that it clocks in at over 7 minutes in length. I Go To Bed (When The Sun Comes Up) and Mean are both more straight-forward catchy upbeat numbers, and closing track, Dirt, is a bit heavier and is more aggressive in its delivery. All four tracks have very individual characters but sit nicely together as an EP and serve as a perfect introduction to the band, in addition to being a taster for what may come next.
With their style of Heavy Blues Rock being the foundation of so many genres and scenes, Voodoo Blood have massive cross-over potential that I can imagine being very attractive to major labels. They have already rocked Bloodstock Festival, and I could imagine them going down really well at Reading / Leeds or even Glastonbury too. With an EP as strong as Fresh Hell, there deserves to be big opportunities around the corner for them.
There's no music from this EP on YouTube yet, but make sure you check out their channel here.
There's no music from this EP on YouTube yet, but make sure you check out their channel here.
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