WALL STREET VOODOO

This is not Flower Kings. This is not happy/positive. This is not even progressive! It is a pure rock&blues album that is extremely influenced by the 60s and 70s. I am sure Roine put his heart and soul into this record, since it shows his main influences (besides prog) and the music that made him pick up the guitar.

This is not happy like the flower kings are. Here, we can hear the angry side of Stolt. He attacks capitalism. That is the concept of the album: capitalism/greed/injustice.

The Observer Begins the album with a bass riff similar to "Don't let the Devil In". The curseword tells you that this album is different. The song is groovy and has a great chorus in which Roine sings with Neal Morse. There are extended guitar solos. The lyrics introduces the listeners on the main theme of the album. It is somewhat overlong, as many of the songs in here are. The duration does not really hurt the quality of this song. 8/10

Head Above Water has Neal Morse singing in a good majority of the track. It has a good jam near the end with old-sounding hammond organs. 6/10

Dirt does not start well. It has some awkward singing from Roine (sometimes, he sounds like a mexican) It then gets better (especially instrumentally) and uses the mellotron in moments you would not expect. 6.5/10

Everybody wants to rule the world has memorable verses and a catchy chorus that reminds me of Transatlantic, maybe because both Roine and Neal sing. Unfortunately, the ending is unlistenable noise. 6/10

Spirit of the Rebel is slower, yet faster in its hard rocking choruses. The guitar solos are really good in this track, but this song doesn't have enough ideas to guarantee its duration. 6/10

Unforgiven is one of the best tracks in the album. One of the main reasons is the short duration and its memorable melodies and guitar riffing. 8/10

Dog With a Million Bones is a pure blues track with great guitar playing. It is influenced by Jimi Hendrix. Sadly, it is a bit overlong. If you liked the opening track, you'll like this one because the style is very similar. 7/10

Sex Kills is a cover song. It is a rock&blues track with quite good guitar playing as always. It is probably the most mainstream sounding song from the album. 6/10

OutCast is a great way to end the first disc. It is a fine blues rocker with a mellow atmosphere. No more to say about it. 7.5/10

The Unwanted is a bit awkward. It is a 60s blues with strong Hendrix influences, especially on the guitar riff heard on the short chorus. The singing is heavily processed and doesn't work too well for me, tho Roine setting out a huge 'F**k' surprised me. The long guitar solo begins strangely, but what follows is quite good. The end of the piece is very different from the first 6 minutes. It starts with a theme and is slowly developed. Definitively a highlight! 5.5/10

Remember is another highlight of the album. It begins with an amazing up-tempo guitar riff accompained by great slide guitar work. The song continues with the same tempo and strong vocal melodies. The second half of the song doesn't drop in quality. 8/10

It's All About Money is the centerpiece of the album. The 'wallstreet voodoo' is introduced and his lyrics are very important. Musically, Roine has mixed many genres of music, resulting in a unique sound. 7.5/10

Everybody is trying to sell you something is a funky song with memorable vocal melodies, interesting rhythm section, and some soloing. There's a clavichord playing, which gives a very 'oldie' feel. Again, I feel the song is a couple of minutes too long 7/10

hotRod starts as an exciting and energetic track that will wake you up from the slower 2 previous tracks. However, starting from minute 5, there is a section that is utterly brilliant. A gentle, elevator jazz music starts playing and slowly, Roine and his band destroy the beauty. Everything starts getting tenser, a sinister 4/4 bass riff is introduced out of nowhere and from there, everything turns into complete chaos only held by that perpetual 3-note bass riff. It might be as of now my favorite avant-garde moment ever, and despites its madness, it seems as if the madness has been carefully composed. 9/10

Mercy is just a small acoustic piece with distorted vocals. 5/10

People that Have the Power To Shape The Future is a not a very good closer. Things I do not like in this track is: long duration, mediocre guitar riff, irritating vocal chorus (especially when distorted). However, the guitar solos are good as always and the rhythm can make you tap your foot. 5/10

This is a recommended album for Roine Stolt fans. However, this is not the best blues record there is. The singing is not excellent as well as some of the vocal melodies, and the music tends to be too long and tiring. However, if you are a big fan of the guitar, you will not be disappointed here.

My Rating : C+

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