VOODOO CIRCLE is a Hard Rock band based out of Germany. The band had previously release three studio albums. "Whisky Fingers" is the band's fourth, and contains eleven tracks. "Trapped in Paradise" leads us off. The main riff definitely has an old-school feeling to it, like an early NWOBHM band. The traditional keyboards that support the sound though take us back a little further into the annals of time in the Rock genre. There is a lot of melody here and they do a nice job of creating hooks in the chorus. "Heartbreaking Woman" is a little darker but with lush layers of harmony. I can't help not shaking the vibe of WHITESNAKE here, especially with the vocal progressions. "Watch and Wait (I Got My Eye on You)" is a moving acoustical song that really showcases the vocal talents of David Readman. He has a snarly and emotional edge to his vocals and his pitch is spot on. I have to admit I am always a sucker for a slow, introspective piece and the delicate melodies that the piano can create. That is definitely the feeling heard in "The Day the Walls Came Down." The harmonies in the chorus really make this track shine as well.

"Heart of Stone" opens with some trippy keyboard passages and builds with additional instrumentation as he begs "are you ready?" Tentative at first, it doesn't take long for the layers of charm to pour over and coat the song with bliss. "Straight Shooter" has a nice, swinging mid-tempo sound and a heavy, plodding riff that is accented by a sound effect in the chorus and an all-out guitar solo. "The Rhythm of my Heart" is another slow and steady sort of ballad that focuses on the raw emotion and love and loss. These soulful passages are really made by the vocals. By contrast, "Devil Takes me Down" is a fast paced track, fueled by a down and dirty riff akin to that muscle car that leads the racing pack on the speedway. "Been Said and Done" closes the album with what might be the best track on the album. It might not have the bombast of some of the other tracks but it has might and power delivered with soul. This is a nice, fresh and modern take on the classic genre of Hard Rock. Too easily this could be a stale re-make of a sound that doesn't have a place in the now, but that is clearly not the case with this album. If you hunger for that classic sound but are also looking for something you haven't heard before, this is your album. This is easy listening, pleasing, chocked full of melodies and with strong musicianship.