Artist: Voodoo Six
Title: Fluke?
Type: Album
Label: Powerage

Since being formed back in 2006 by bassist/main song writer Tony Newton Voodoo Six have certainly put themselves about. They’ve played Download, Hammerfest, Bloodstock and Sonisphere as well as supporting the likes of Extreme and UFO...which perhaps begs the question ‘why haven’t they made more headway?’ Well perhaps now that they’re signed to Powerage and second album Fluke? has finally arrived those inroads to the public consciousness will be made. This band’s punchy, groove-laden and beautifully unpretentious heavy rock certainly deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. Fluke? is the first Voodoo Six album to feature the gravel throated talents of singer Luke Purdie and he’s certainly a great asset – carrying the big choruses and big melodies brilliantly. The other star players here are guitarists Matt Pearce and Chris Jones as their six string savagery is all over this album – riff after riff, solo after solo coming at you from every angle.

Fluke? starts very strongly indeed with ‘Take The Blame’, ‘Something For You’, ‘Take Aim’ and ‘Like The Others Did’ setting the bar very high. ‘Killer’ and ‘Underneath My Skin’ also have me convinced that Voodoo Six have everything they need to be major players with Luke Purdie’s voice proving to be up to every challenge that the band throw at him. Unfortunately just as I’m about to say I wouldn’t bet against Voodoo Six making it very big indeed there’s a sudden downturn in the bombardment of quality. ‘Live Again’ just about hangs in there but ‘Body And Soul’, ‘Mountain’ and ‘Doing Me Wrong’ are forgettable and the whole album seems to be running out of steam. Thankfully they manage to pull back from the brink and finish strongly with ‘Long Way From Home’, a song full of super solos that makes the last impression a favourable one. Fluke? is very nearly a great album and even with that tail end slump it’s still a very good one. I’d also urge you all to check this band out live because these songs were just made to be heard at ear-splitting volume in a sweat drenched club.

http://www.voodoosix.com