Voodoo Circle are basically a guarantee of class. They are one of the best hard rock bands on the planet.
They always have been, and album number seven is no exception.
Listen to “Lay Down Your Lovin'” (which has been out a month or so but is getting a physical release this week), and you are transported. Transported to a world where rock is hard and—let’s be honest here—it sounds like Whitesnake. But given that David Readman, who has been back on the last couple of albums, is on vocals, it’s the Whitesnake when Dame David Coverdale could sing.
And to be clear, Readman can really sing. There is a Dio touch to his vocals on “Let It Rock,” and that one is one of a few here that have something imperceptibly modern about them. Alex Beyrodt seems to be enjoying himself here, and his guitar work is brilliant throughout.
Given the pedigree of the band, bassist Mat Sinner (who, like Beyrodt, was in Primal Fear and Silent Force) and Markus Kullmann (as with Readman, is in his second spell), it’s no surprise that it sounds glorious.
Epic too—as “On The Edge” soars by—and even if “Sweet Little Sister” isn’t a Skid Row cover, then the VC boys know a thing or two (if you know, you know) about making arena rock.
They make it sound effortless, which doubtless it isn’t, but “Castles Made Of Glass” is, like so many others here, just superb. There is an almost soundtrack feel to “Stand Your Ground.” Heavier than many here, nonetheless it revels in its Zeppelin touches—it is not even trying to hide its debt and even contains the line “it makes me wonder” just to underline things.
“Black Country” adds a prog element that is pleasing, and whether a homage to the West Midlands conurbation or not, I’m not sure, but I do know that Glenn Hughes might have fancied a crack at this himself.
A couple of the tracks here are re-recorded from originals written by former Rainbow keyboard player Tony Carey a quarter of a century ago. “Billy’s Song” is one of them, a fists-in-the-air rocker with a keyboard riff. The other, “All For One,” has an interesting intro and catchy hook.
Sandwiched in between them is “Strangers In The Night,” and that crackles too, full of energy.
Not a short album by any means (the 22 songs clock in at well over an hour), but always with a different angle, like the harmonies on “The Sound Of The Eagles.”
The title track has an Eastern quality. And quality is the word, really, for it is shot through everything Voodoo Circle do.
You might have heard stuff like this before (hell, even the song titles make you think you’ve heard it before), but Voodoo Circle are busy making their own brand of classic rock—and very much finding a way to put their own stamp on it. Hail to the kings indeed.
Rating 9/10
