Dust and Bones Voodoo
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
Voodoo, the debut album from Missouri-based Dust And Bones, would have been a massive hit if it was released 20 or so years ago. Today it seems an oddity, and is a look back at what made hard rock the controversial topic of the PMRC’s ’80s. A bit hard rock, a bit hair metal, and a large dose of sleaze rock combine to make this an interesting trip down memory (or lack thereof) lane. Focusing on the hard rocker’s triad of sex, drugs and rock & roll, Dust And Bones captures the spirit of the era.
The hard rocking quartet consists of Nick Elmore (vocals and harmonica), Sean Quidgeon (guitars), Jon “Big Dawg” Jackson (bass and vocals) and Ryan Riggs (drums). They play well together and all do their part with backing vocals. The music is crunchy and aggressive, but they seem to keep a good grip on the melody at all times. Their music is refined and slick, but their lyrics are crude and sleazy. Elmore has a good voice for this style of rock – a bit raspy and rough, and a range big enough to handle the work. Quidgeon’s guitars are very good – he’s a decent bluesy rhythm player and his solos show him to be a closet shredder with impressive chops. He doesn’t let his guitars dominate the music and is a good team player. Jackson and Riggs are a solid bottom end, and each is also a talented musician. There is no doubt that any or all of these guys can go beyond the sleaze rock genre into almost any rock style they might choose.
However, all is not perfect in Dust And Bones land, as they at times seem to be a band in search of a sound. One part of one song sounds like AC/DC, part of another is Faster Pussycat, or Guns N Roses, or Aerosmith. The listener can easily pick these up, along with hints of Brother Cane, Dirty Looks, and even an intro reminiscent of Axel Rudi Pell. All these influences are interesting, but for the most part they are too obvious. While technically very good, Dust And Bones needs to consolidate all of these, or pick one or two – and settle on a distinct “D.A.B.” sound.
The interesting aspects of Voodoo are many. The CD opens with “She’s On Fire,” which sounded very much like an old AC/DC track. “Ready, Willing And Able” is a catchy song but highlights the band’s weakness as lyricists: “I’m ready, willing and able. Let’s get sweaty…” – but it has a great shreddy guitar solo. “Dear Diary” is a very upbeat, almost Poison-style happy rock with a slick guitar solo. The title track, “Voodoo,” opens with an almost euro-metal intro, then drops back into a heavy classic rock mode with some fantastic drum and bass work. “No More Long Goodbyes” is the “different” song – a little moody, dark and lower energy – probably the best-written song on the album.
“Whiskey Dick” is a tongue –in-cheek morality story about the effects of overindulgence, and will bring back memories to almost every guy who’s ever had too much to drink on a date. “Running Free” is a great song but sounds quite a bit like Brother Cane. “Come Up Swinging” wraps the disc with a very aggressive GNR influenced song.
The production and engineering are very well done considering the numerous arrangements and variety of styles, and that shows a good deal of maturity and flexibility.
All in all, Voodoo is a decent album with a few flaws. The music is raunchy and intense, and delivered in rapid-fire high-energy style. The obvious “other band” influences rolled into the music are distracting, and the band needs to settle down and select a style and grow a bit as songwriters. The last thing any band needs is to have listeners saying, “This one reminds me of AC/DC”, or “This song sounds like GNR”. They need people to say, “Wow, this is good Dust And Bones music.”
If you are a fan of the sleaze rock scene, pick this one up as it will not disappoint. If your sensitivities are offended by the old school “sex, drugs , rock-and-roll lifestyle” – or you have little kids in the car – you might want to look elsewhere.
Label: Independent
Web: www.myspace.com/dustandbonesroxxx
Track Listing:
01 – She’s On Fire
02 – Pair-O-Dice
03 – Feed My Disease
04 – Come Get Some
05 – Ready, Willing And Able
06 – Dear Diary
07 – Voodoo
08 – No More Long Goodbyes
09 – Whiskey Dick
10 – Shot Down
11 – No More
12 – Running Free
13 – Come Up Swinging
HRH Rating: 8/10