Voodoo Ramble – In The Heart of the City
Self-Release – 2019
10 Tracks; 36 minutes
Voodoo Ramble’s fifth release since forming in 2010, In The Heart of the City (2025), delivers high-powered, rock heavy blues with strong rhythm and skillful, flashy guitar playing. Among the best blues bands to come out of Croatia, the band early on relied on covers but have developed a body of original music through band leader, guitarist, and songwriter Boris Dugi-Novack, who is known as “Zamba”.
Despite their cultural origin, Voodoo Ramble resembles the American music they emulate. On this effort, like their last LP, Can’t Write a Pop Song (2022), the band plays a style of blues that leans heavily into rock, with three featured electric guitar players.
Badass guitar licks open up “I’m a Bluesman Baby”, one of the best tracks on the album. Zamba’s spirited, energetic voice calls out “Early in the morning sipping on whiskey… early in the evening playing on my old guitar”, as guitarist Mick Pini displays prowess on electric guitar, making it howl, whine, and shine. The hypnotic and dynamic track with the powerful guitar interplay follows a steady drumbeat provided by Damir Šomen: it is undeniably dance music.
“Cold Hearted Woman” is tailspin high energy blues, filled with passion. Zamba shows dexterity on guitar, with unwavering, frantic playing. He calls out “You’re a cold hearted woman and you’re making a fool out of me,” followed by a repeated group chorus that is rich, excellent and catchy.
Šomen delivers solid drumming at the start of “Take You Home”, followed by Zamba’s upbeat acoustic guitar strumming while he sings “Don’t judge me by the clothes that I wear. Life is a constant reminder of hope and despair.” Zamba singing is softer and more melodic, reminiscent of Tom Petty in his Mudcrutch days. It is a quiet and powerful track, by far the softest on the record which tilts towards heavier rock.
With “Midnight Ride”, Voodoo Ramble performs a simmering, steamy track full of feeling. Nino Krznar picks deep bass notes as Zamba sings in a rumbling, low voice “Feel the drag of the water, the pressure of the wind… We’ll make our escape on a midnight ride.” Muddy Manninen is featured on electric guitar and lap steel guitar.
Pounding drums and bass notes are followed by a barrage of electric guitar on “Addicted to the Rush”, an adrenaline rush of a tune that closes out the album. While the vocals suffer slightly, the instrumentation and energy are high and fitting for the lyrics, full of vice and gambling.
At times, the band veers into cheesiness, and the lyrics—though earnest—lack the nuance and poetry of stronger songwriting. This is understandable, as English is not their first language. What the songs may miss in lyrical sophistication, however, they more than make up for musically: Voodoo Ramble delivers a high-energy, guitar-driven blues album full of passion and feeling.
