Voodoo Lake - Three Shots 

EP review by; DeeDee 

 

If you haven’t discovered the emerging talent of Dave Strange yet, a superb start would be this side project. Away from his better known bands ‘Tytan’, where he has replaced Steve Mann and the more heavy outfit ‘Midnight Messiah’, he has joined forces with drummer James Fileman and bassist Mark ‘Bomber’ Randon to create VOODOO LAKE. With a passion to play some more classic and bluesy kind of rock, they have brought out this 3 track EP entitled ‘Three Shots’, which is a pre taster for a full album due to be released anytime soon. The trio from the South East are keen to create the distorted mix of themes that were so abundant in the 70s and 80s, being akin to bands like ZZ Top, Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Motorhead, I like the idea.  

 

First up is ‘Dirty Town’ it has angry and mean vocals from the start, with Sabbath like tones and that classic 70’s heavy metal vibe. Strange on mic and guitar manages to reinvent quite a nostalgic sound and it pays off. Such a powerful guitar intro and you can’t help but notice the influences, however it is indeed dirty, messy, brutal and quite brilliant. Next in line ‘On The Run’ begins with a gentle chant and then we are introduced to more strident bass, care of Randon. The chanting chorus increases in pressure and the song becomes a rousing and uplifting experience. Last of the three ‘Fever’ again is such a classic sounding number, with screaming guitar solos, hooky lyrics and flowing jauntiness. Like early Motorhead and AC/DC, with its racy and coarse attitude and again the guitar screeches, a stable rhythm backing it the whole time.   

 

There is somewhat of a resurgence of this old school type of biker rock, look at the popularity of Daves’ other band Tytan, how much Fugitive are gaining fans and the fact that Anvil are now playing major festivals and tours. Mr Strange may have a full diary in 2020 as this EP is a clear indication of something remarkable being hatched. 

 

4/5