Review: Voodoo Ramble – In The Heart Of The City
Voodoo Ramble – In The Heart Of The City
Format: CD – Digital / Label: CD Baby
Release: 2025
Text: Martien Koolen
Voodoo Ramble, founded in 2010, is a Croatian blues rock band, featuring Boris Dugi-Novacki aka Zamba (guitar, vocals), Nino Krznar (bass guitar), Mario Klaric (drums) and Sinisa Drobnjak (guitar) and with special guests Muddy Manninen (Wishbone Ash), Mick Pini and Marcus Flynn.
‘In The Heart Of The City’ is Voodoo Ramble’s fourth album and as Zamba says: This is our fourth album and probably the best one so far, but we’ll let the listeners and broadcasters decide…” After a couple of spins, I have to say that this is a fun rock and blues “exercise” with lots of musical class and some great guitar solos and melodies galore. ‘In The Heart Of The City’ contains ten short songs – nine even under the four-minute mark – and most of them rock “hard” and bluesy for 100%, maybe without the exception of the rather simple title track, which kicks off this album.
Follow up Take You Home is definitely better and the third track Midnight Ride, featuring guest guitarist Muddy Manninen, is the first highlight here as it is packed with cool guitar lines and twin guitar sounds, reminding me of Wishbone Ash for sure! Don’t Leave Me 4 Good and I’m A Bluesman Baby are 100% pure guitar-led blues rock tracks, and these two tracks bring back memories of Gary Moore’s blues period.
Walk Away then again is a true rocker, while Cool Hearted Woman sounds a bit too simple. Finally, Voodoo Ramble finishes this excellent album with an up-tempo rock and roller called Addicted To The Rush, which is a great way to end this album indeed.
If you like bluesy rock songs with expressive vocals and great guitar playing, maybe Voodoo Ramble’s new album is something to look forward to for sure.
Tracks:
01. In The Heart Of The City
02. Take You Home
03. Midnight Ride (feat. Muddy Manninen)
04. I’m A Bluesman Baby (feat. Mick Pini)
05. 4000 Years Old (feat. Marcus Flynn)
06. Don’t Leave Me 4 Good
07. Walk Away
08. Cold Hearted Woman
09. I Refuse (To Feel The Blues)
10. Addicted To The Rush