Mayhem Rockstar Magazine

/

Voodoo Circle, 80s Rock Fans Will Agree Band’s New LP “Rules”

Late last month, rock band Voodoo Circle released its latest album, Hail to the King to the masses.  Released Dec. 20 through AFM Records, the 12-song record is the band’s seventh full-length studio recording and will appeal largely to the band’s established audiences as well as to 80s hair metal fans.  That is proven in part through the record’s musical arrangements, which will be discussed shortly.  The record’s lyrical themes add to the interest among those targeted audiences and will be addressed a little later.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements and will also be discussed later.  Each item noted is important in its own way to the whole of the album.  All things considered they make Hail to the King a work that again, will appeal to a specific audience without a doubt.

Hail to the King, the latest full-length studio recording from Voodoo Circle, is a work that established fans of the veteran rock outfit will enjoy.  More casual audiences who are also fans of 80s hair metal and rock are just as certain to find some appeal in the record.  That is due in no small part to its featured musical arrangements.  From beginning to end of the album, the arrangements are easily comparable to works from so many bands that have come before.  Among those bands in question are the likes of Winger, Skid Row, and to a slightly lesser degree, Cinderella.  They are just some of the bands whose works are comparable.  There are plenty of others that can be listed.  Case in point is ‘Stand Your Ground,’ which could be compared to works from Stryper, of all bands.  To that point, the musical arrangements featured throughout this record are certain to find a very targeted appeal among audiences, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

While the musical arrangements featured in Hail to the King will find some specific appeal, the lyrical themes featured throughout the album are likely to find a somewhat wider appeal.  Case in the point is the album’s opener, ‘Lay Down Your Love.’  As the song’s title infers, it really is one of those old school type of lyrical presentations.  Front man David Readman sings here, “I know she’s breaking my heart/I don’t give a damn/I’ve taken all my chances/I’m just a victim of love/I’m raising my hands to pray to the lord above/She got a heart that’s cold as ice/I feel a kind of fear/I don’t have you near/Should I just lose my pride/I’m begging you my dear.”  Readman continues in similar fashion as the song progresses, basically begging for a woman’s love even though he knows she is bad news.  This is a lyrical theme that has been used as far back as the 80s (if not even farther back in time).  To that end, it is a tried and true topic that is sure to appeal to the noted listeners plenty here.

Reaching back to ‘Stand Your Ground,’ it is one of the few songs featured here that does not focus on the all too familiar topic of relationships good and bad.  In the case of this song, it comes across as focusing on the matter of personal faith, thus the comparison to works from Stryper.  This as Readman sings in the song’s lead verse and chorus, “Raging hard in a flood of pain/All these visions in my brain/Lost my mind/But my soul’s alive/Stole my heart/But I feel the drive/Oh, it makes me wonder/When I hear the thunder/When the devil is calling/And he takes your heart/When the devil is calling/Stand your ground.”  Again, Readman continues in similar fashion through the rest of the song, reminding listeners to stand their ground against those negative forces.  This is a theme that is sure to reach a lot of listeners, not just those noted.

One more notable lyrical presentation featured in Hail to the King comes late in its run in the form of ‘All For One.  In the case of this song, it tells the story of a handful of young men, each living a good life, but who “left it all.”  At first a person is led to think that this is going to be one of those songs about men who gave up their lives for that of something…rougher for lack of better wording.  A closer examination though, reveals the song may in fact be something of a pro-military song.  That is just this critic’s interpretation.  The interpretation comes as Readman sings, asking, “Where eels can we turn/When the lights go down?/That’s a fire still burns/Burns on the ground/We’re all for one/And one for all/If a brother goes down/Another brother makes the call/We could lead it to the river/’Cause the river makes it run/We’re all for one and one for all/In this small town USA.”  Now whether this is pro-military or something similar is up for interpretation, but either way, it is an overall message that is certain to find a very targeted appeal.  What is interesting is that the band writes of small town USA even though the band is from Germany.  That is a matter for another time.  Getting back on the subject at hand. The lyrical theme here is uplifting and when it is considered alongside the themes in the other songs examined here and that whole with the rest of the album’s presentation, the whole makes clear why the album’s lyrical themes are just as important as its musical arrangements.

There is no question the overall content featured throughout Hail to the King makes for a certain amount of appeal among key audiences.  It is collectively just part of what will keep the record engaging and entertaining for those listeners.  The record’s production rounds out its most important elements.  From beginning to end, the balance of the vocals and the instrumentation in each song is handled expertly.  Whether in the heavier moments, the more energetic works, or even more controlled moments, each musician’s performance expertly compliments that of his band mates.  The result of that balance is a presentation whose aesthetic proves just as positive as its content for the noted audiences.  When the impact of the record’s production is considered alongside the overall content, the whole makes Hail to the King a solid presentation from Voodoo Circle that will appeal easily to the band’s established audiences and to more casual 80s rock fans.

Hail to the King, the latest album from Voodoo Circle, is a presentation that its established audiences will enjoy alongside more casual 80s rock fans.  That is due in part to its featured musical arrangements, which largely throw back to music of that era of big hard and even bigger riffs.  From beginning to end, the arrangements featured in this album are easily comparable in sound and style to works from so many of the biggest names of that age.  The lyrical themes featured in the album will find more appeal because they are less centralized (for lack of better wording).  The record’s production puts the finishing touch to the presentation, ensuring each song is its own expertly balanced composition.  The positive aesthetic that results therein works with the overall content to make Hail to the King a work that the noted audiences noted will agree “rules.”

Hail to the King is available through AFM Records.  More information on the album is available along with all of Voodoo Circle’s latest news at:

Websitehttps://voodoocircle.de

Facebookhttps://facebook.com/voodoocircle

Recent Posts

All

Gemini Syndrome Debuts New Single, ‘Suffer In Silence,’ Announces New Album Details

Feb. 7 -- Gemini Syndrome is working on a new album. The band announced Friday through a news release, it...

Meshuggah Debuts ‘Ligature Marks’ “Live Clip”

Feb. 7 -- Meshuggah unveiled a “live” clip of its song ‘Ligature Marks’ Friday. The video and song are featured...

Archers Tackles Toxic Relationships In New Single, Video; Tour Underway

Feb. 7 -- Metalcore outfit Archers unveiled its latest single and video this week. The band debuted its new single,...

Arch Enemy Debuts New Album’s Fourth Single, Video

Feb. 6 -- Arch Enemy gave audiences yet another preview of its forthcoming album this week. The band premiered the...

Julien-K Announces More Live Dates With Powerman 5000

Feb. 6 -- Julien-K will join Powerman 5000 for a handful of West Coast dates this spring. The band made...

Dirkschneider Debuts Forthcoming Album’s Second Single, Video

Feb. 6 -- Audiences got a new preview of Dirkschneider’s forthcoming re-issue of Accept’s Balls to the Wall this week. The band...

More Bands Announced For 2025 Camp Punksylvania Festival

Feb. 6 -- Organizers of the official Camp Punksylvania Festival have announced a large new group of bands for...

Deadly Apples Debuts New Single’s Video

Feb. 5 -- Deadly Apples unveiled the video for its latest single this week. The band premiered the video for its single,...

Save Ferris Announces New Tour Dates

Feb. 5 -- Save Ferris will head back out on the road again this spring. The band announced Wednesday via...

Groovology’s ‘Almost Home’ Gets Jazz Community Off To A Good Start In 2025

2025 is officially underway, ladies and gentlemen.  It is hard to believe but this young year is already almost...

‘The Vibe’ Is A Mostly Positive First Outing For Nanami Haruta

Later this month, trombonist Nanami Haruta will release her debut album, The Vibe through Origin Records.  The 11-song record is a...