Voodoo Vegas - Freak Show Candy Floss album review

Bournemoth rock'n'rollers' second album consolidates their early promise

Voodoo Vegas Freak Show Candy Floss album cover

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This second album from Bournemouth’s Voodoo Vegas is a frustrating beast. There are some sterling moments of high-energy rock’n’roll to found here, not least the galloping jig of Long Time Gone, the black humour of Killing Joke and heavy grinding strut of closer Walk Away.

Producer Guillermo ‘Will’ Maya (The Answer) coaxes some powerful performances from the band’s new line-up, and yet it’s not all as peachy as it should be. Guitarists Jon Dawson and Merylina Hamilton generate some storming riffs, but the songs just aren’t memorable enough. Too many of the tracks try to pack in far too much at the expense of killer hooks and vocal melodies, making things sound laboured instead of direct and fresh. Bit of a shame really.

Essi Berelian

Whether it’s magazines, books or online, Essi has been writing about rock ’n’ metal for around thirty years. He has been reviews editor for Classic Rock and Metal Hammer, rock reviews editor for lads mag Front and worked for Kerrang!. He has also written the Rough Guide to Heavy Metal and contributed to the Rough Guide to Rock and Rough Guide Book of Playlists, and the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles (13th edition). Most fun interview? Tenacious D – Jack Black and Kyle Gass – for The Pick of Destiny movie book. An avid record/CD/tape collector, he’s amassed more music than he could ever possibly listen to, which annoys his wife no end.