Review – Roxx Gang – The Voodoo You Love
Perris Records (February 17th, 2023)
Reviewer: Jason Hopper
Roxx Gang. I have come across this name on noticeboards, Facebook, and heard this name bantered about at various shows. They were always in my audio and visual peripheral but had never heard a song from them. With one of their most sought-after albums being re-released by Perris Records, now is as good a time as any to give this band a shot…and boy am I glad I did.
Their 1995 album ‘The Voodoo You Love’ is a solid sleaze rock album that would have been a saving grace to me had I purchased it smack in the middle of the grunge era. Similar in style to bands like LA Guns and Electric Angels, the band comes off as a better version of Faster Pussycat, a band I never really took to. Songs like ‘Stone Dead Drunk (Again)’ and ‘Shame On Me’ are perfect examples of this. They sound like Faster Pussycat tracks but I much prefer the vocal stylings of Kevin Steele over Taime Downe
Most people reading this review have probably heard this album by now, so I’ll briefly mention the highs and a few lows. First, I need to mention this album is not remastered in any way but does contain a bonus track, ‘Magic Carpet Ride’. It would be a very good track, but it’s weighed down by poor production, as it’s a demo and sounds muddled.
‘Stone Dead Drunk (Again)’ is the highlight of the album and a blast to listen to. With comedic lyrics, the drinking references are quite relatable. ‘Hot For Love’ has a blues-influenced catchy swagger. ‘Can’t Catch Me’ has some great chops and is my second favorite track, just an awesome song to blast while racing down the highway. I found ‘What You See’ very interesting as it has exactly the same song structure in the verses as Poison’s ‘Doin As I See On My TV’. Being that this album came out one year before Poison recorded ‘Crack A Smile’, it seems strangely coincidental. Finally, ‘Shame On Me’ has that dirty type of grit that defines sleaze rock. All tracks listed here are essential.
Along with these songs, there are other solid rockers as well, but there’s a couple of songs that sound forced. ‘Silver Train’ is the very definition of obligatory ballad. Singer Kevin Steele sounds like he woke up from a bender and immediately started singing. Again mimicking Faster Pussycat, it resembles their hit ‘House of Pain’, a song that I never liked. Track 3’s ‘Time Bomb’ feels completely out of place. Kevin attempts an Axl Rose/Layne Staley vocal approach with a grunge feel thick riff. The other issue with the song is the production is of a noticeably lower quality. This was clearly not recorded at the same time as the other tracks and probably not in the same studio. It’s bizarre that it was included on the original release, especially since there were eleven other tracks available.
If you already have this release, then there’s no need to purchase this again, the extra track is not worth it. If you’re one of the many who missed out on this release and do not want to pay the exorbitant eBay prices for this long out of print release, now’s your chance to get your hands on one of the finest hard rock releases to come out of the mid-90s. There’s a reason this album is one of Perris Records biggest selling albums. Once purchased, you’ll understand why.
Track Listing:
- Daddy’s Farm
- Stone Dead Drunk (Again)
- Time Bomb
- Hot for Love
- Silver Train
- Can’t Catch Me
- What You See
- Be Your Man
- Shame On Me
- Hot ‘Lanta
- Thick as Thieves
- Meanwhile Back at the Ranch
- Magic Carpet Ride
ROCKPOSER DOT COM! 
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