Nobody needs reminding that Birmingham has done its bit for the rock and metal world – time and again. Whether Voodoo Johnson can follow in the foot stomps of the greats is not up for discussion here.
But what they do have is potential, commitment and a real drive. This is their debut album, but it’s delivered as if they’ve already got vast experience behind them.
These aren’t so much ingénues as five musicians who’ve taken inspiration from grunge, cranked it up with a little stoner expertise, and added a touch of classic hard rock. Yet, while so many of their influences are American, what comes out is definitely and defiantly British.
End Of The Empire, Feel Karma and Burn are the sort of songs that could easily capture the zeitgeist. There are flaws – a couple of songs could have been shaved off – but it’s a promising start.
