Voodoo Rhythm Records' Die Zorros is one of those strange bands you just can't put a finger on. This serves the band well, but may leave listeners in the cold ... unless you have fully committed yourself to the Voodoo ride, as have I.
"History of Rock Vol. 7" came out a few years ago. It has moody organs and a sound that harkens back to slow dances at a 1960's Junior High. Hell, the third track is "Blue Moon." You can kind of figure it out from there.
Fans of Voodoo's other acts like The Monsters and The Come 'n' Go won't quite know what to make of this release. It doesn't evoke barroom brawls or leather jackets, but it does have that twisted David Lynch-inspired feel to it that puts it right at home in the Voodoo stable. And if one were to actually look at the entire Voodoo catalog you would see that the Die Zorros have a definite place in the jigsaw puzzle.
Die Zorros is music you drink exotic drinks to. It is music to play when you have someone tied up in the basement and you want to take your time with the dirty work. "Black," a stellar song, works its way into your head and makes you think you stepped into some trippy drug film from an era when Hollywood still took chances. "Stairway to Heaven" is a tip to that awful Led band, but this version clocks in at just under three minutes. Fuck the original. This is tolerable. "Final Countdown" sounds like something left on the cutting room floor (accidentally, of course) from "A Fistful of Dollars." How many of today's releases can make these claims?
Die Zorros isn't the reason I love Voodoo Rhythm Records. It's one of the reasons, though. When "History of Rock Vol. 7" initially came out, I didn't listen to it that much. It didn't grab me. Now, however, I've listened to it three times in less than 12 hours today, and I keep finding something new in it. It is a soundtrack to a film that doesn't exist, but should, and that's what makes it worth owning.
Voodoo Rhythm Records isn't that well-known in this country. I've covered the documentary and the Reverend Beat-Man's DVD on filmthreat.com in my attempt to bring it attention in the good ol' US of A, but for now it remains a musician's label. The music it produces is bold, exciting and has its roots in all that is good in rock. Die Zorros' "History of Rock Vol. 7" proves it in the most roundabout way possible. Don't believe me, though. Go to the site and sample some of the bands. Download a free song or two and get your blood flowing. The music you will hear beats anything on any major label around today. You can thank me later. I know you will.
