EP Review: Volcanuck

Volcanuck is a name that instantly catches your attention. Have I heard the name before? No, but I’m about to find out more.

As it turns out, Volcanuck is actually a one man band project of drummer, Dave Morello.

Born and raised in Canada, he is a Grammy-nominated songwriter and performer (2016), with tracks reaching the Top 30 on the U.S. Rock Charts and breaking into the Top 10 on the UK Independent Charts. Since making New Zealand his home in the late nineties, this is his debut, self-titled EP.

These three tracks are an instant hit of good, solid rock, with tight and polished production.

First up is the opener, Like Most. It showcases some great riffs and tempo. Lyrically and vocally, it’s pretty simple, but it fits where needed. Dave may not be showing off a hidden Robert Plant vocal range, but he has great musicianship. It’s clear he has garnered a lot of talent and expertise from his career.

Next up is Fire Away. It has a soaring tempo, and again, while it may fall a touch short vocally of what I wanted to hear, I feel that’s okay; because you don’t need to have a massive range to create good art. Lyrically it is a great song and it has a great arrangement with touches of industrial and techno. Again, it’s simple in its delivery, but it has everything else it needs in the right places.

The last track, Hurt Locker is another goodie. It features strong and clear lyrical delivery from Dave, along with some really solid riffs and arrangements. All this makes it a pretty robust rock song.

While this EP may not be as substantial as I wished it would be, with it falling a touch flat vocally at times, it definitely hits the nail on the head for production quality and musicianship. I’m sure Dave will have plenty more up his sleeve, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next for him.