Review: Voodoo Macbeth by The Judex

In the modern age, garage rock is one of those genre tags which manages to be somewhat intangible yet also quite specific at the same time; you know the kind of sounds to expect, yet it's also quite hard to pinpoint exactly what defines those sounds as garage rock. Sure there's fuzzy punk rock guitars, relentlessly loud drums and booming rock'n'roll vocals, but then you could say that about any number of genres. The nature of garage rock is more in it's historical outlook, and the utilisation of influences from a bygone era. That doesn't mean garage rock should be a genre reserved specifically for a niche subculture though, because while there is a rich fandom around the style, the best garage rock bands are those who can, musically at least, transcend some of the clichés inherent in those vintage tropes.

This is where we find Philadelphia natives The Judex, a four piece whose intense form of garage rock blends in elements from blues, soul, rockabilly and punk. The group are highly prolific, with their release count stretching into double figures in just a few years; that's alongside the Youtube show they run, and the string of live radio performances they've been putting on during the pandemic. Their latest six track EP Voodoo Macbeth strikes a wonderful balance between a clear modern production and the raw, visceral energy that's needed in garage rock. The band also show their penchant for a catchy hook, and much like garage rock greats such as The Sonics, MC-5 or The Hives, it's their song-writing which shines brightest through all the filth, fuzz and feedback.

Kicking off with the title track, the EP begins with a heap of fuzzy riffs and rockabilly vocals meshed together brilliantly. It's a short but sweet banger with some fabulous guitar playing and an instinctive twelve bar blues hook, and it set's up the record in a perfect manner. Big City Sweetheart brings in a little post-punk with the jagged bass riff and dark guitar lines. There's some more tinges of rockabilly in the vibrato chords, and the vocals, as they do throughout the record, fluctuate between an Eddie Cochran style warbling baritone and full-blooded rock'n'roll singing.

Pagan Heart Serenade sees the band embrace some of their slower grooves, sounding like a particularly raw Queens Of The Stone Age for the opening movement. Things soon pick up in both pace and energy though, and the track blasts through some cracking punk'n'roll riffs. James Dean's Black Madonna is full of bluesy guitar lines, but the hooks have a really modern touch to them too, and it's a similar story with Cry Tough although the recording has a much more stripped back feel. There's also a stunning guitar solo in the latter that absolutely rips with melodic fury. The album finishes with the slower number Little Iodine, which sounds like the Stray Cats classic I Won't Stand In Your Way being played by The Damned. It ends the EP in spectacular fashion with some sweet melodic guitars and subtle crooning vocals.

Judging by this EP, The Judex operate in quite a particular spot in garage rock. They aren't as overtly pop indebted as bands like The Hellacopters or The White Stripes, but they don't have the weirdness of 60s legends like The Monks or The Seeds. There's plenty of gritty punk riffs and rockabilly rhythms, but they don't sound much like The Cramps or other psychobilly bands. And so, despite the relative simplicity of what they do, the way it's put together creates a sound that's somewhat unique and also quite brilliant. Voodoo Macbeth isn't the deepest of records, but that isn't what The Judex are about. What they are about is full-blooded, high energy, swaggering, stomping, shimmying garage rock; and that is exactly what Voodoo Macbeth delivers.

You can listen to and purchase Voodoo Macbeth on Bandcamp, and you can check out more from The Judex on Facebook and Instagram.