Grit and glitter festoon the soundscape on a trip back to our younger years...
So you thought the days of silver platform boots and shiny body suits were long gone? Think again, as Sheffield, UK’s The Voltz are here to bring us a modern take on classic Glam Rock! Styled as “21st Century Neo Glam Explorers”, their debut album ‘New Times Like Old Times‘ gave us something refreshingly zingy to listen to last year.
The Voltz say “Our electric box of grit and glitter has burst open, setting free our latest glam sham EP, ‘We’ll Take This City‘. We’ve partnered with Forgemaster Records (and Tapes!) for a limited edition 4 track cassette release. No streaming until April 3rd, just old fashioned magnetic tape. A small plastic artefact carrying a loud idea, glittered down guitars pointing from yesterday to tomorrow…”
The Voltz are:
Richie Badger: Vocals, Bass
Mikey Bratby: Guitar
Big Phil Nichols: Guitar
Chris Hill: Drums
The band send us down a multi-coloured helterskelter to a time 50+ years ago on the title track, ‘We’ll Take This City‘. Heading back to the heyday of The Sweet and Slade, “Take me back to where it started”, when hair was long, flares were wide and there was a positive vibe in the air:
There’s a rockier T. Rex vibe to ‘Over and Done‘. It’s a bolder track, clearly written about a con-artist making false claims to give the band a boost… frustratingly, not everyone you meet is honest, and the more they flatter, the less they intend help you. Loving the multitude of different sounds illuminating this song!
Starting with the bass to evoke the flapping of the ‘Magpie‘s wings, The Voltz sound more modern and serious here. An honest song about needing encouragement and motivation.
Pep rally meets early Duran Duran, ‘American Eagle‘ (Bootleg Version) is a bonus track on the cassette. A tribute to the legendary Evel Knievel and his mind-blowing motorcycle stunts, the vocal harmonies are a highlight, with the joint guitar freakout echoing the delight and danger of watching his daredevil antics on TV on a Saturday night…
Go get your glittering cassette copy of ‘We’ll Take This City‘ from HERE, and stream / download the EP from HERE
- We’ll Take This City
- Over and Done
- Magpie
- American Eagle (Bootleg Version)
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Usually found jumping around down the front at gigs, I also relish taking photos and videos, singing, speaking with fellow music fans, and asking musicians the questions nobody else does. Writing about my favourite bands and connecting with people who love music too keeps me more-or-less sane! I’ve worked for over 25 years at a video production company, mainly filming live music events, therefore I have an additional backstage perspective on the scene.
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