Voodoo Glow Skulls is one of the all time punkrock/ska classics born and raised in southern California. Active since 1988 they’ve released a large number of fast speed skapunk/latin influenced albums. ‘Steady as she goes’ is their sixth release and where bands like No Doubt, The Offspring and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones have crossed over to overall success, Voodoo Glow Skulls still pound out their fast and furious (yet still catchy in their own stubborn way) skapunk albums and remain successful in the punkrock underground.

Southern California has always been a breeding ground for ska-based bands like Sublime, Hepcat and Reel Big Fish. With the Casillas brothers at the rudder, the Voodoo Glow Skulls stay loyal to their roots on ‘Steady As She Goes’. A little latin, a little ska and a lot of fast punkrock.

You’ll either love them or hate them. One downside is the constant fast tempo of the songs. A little more variation would do the album good.

Tracks like ‘High Society’ (great opening riff), ‘Voodoo Anthem (singalong)’ and ‘The Rat Traps’ have all the ingredients you might expect. They’re fast, there’s a horn-section, it’s punkrock, it’s the Voodoo Glow Skulls. Not difficult to understand, right? The only point of rest on the album is the song ‘Tell The People’. All of the other songs (including the hidden track) are faster that your feet can run.

With summer in the air and festivals on full go, the Voodoo Glow Skulls do what they do best. Throw all their influences in a blender and turn it to full speed. Give the baby a name and be proud of it.