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Voltaire
Zombie Prostitute

Projekt

Posted: Tuesday, February 13, 2007
By: Charity VanDeberg
Concert Editor

Voltaire has a pretty impressive resume of art, books, short films, and even toys under his belt. Who hasn't heard of the Oh My Goth! graphic novels? To some, they're the dark bible. However, Voltaire's talents don't seem to lie in his vocal chords. Musically, the five songs on Zombie Prostitute are interesting; think Danny Elfman leading a Spanish-Romanian band. Lively violins and trumpets abound, and the songs are moderately funny. But Voltaire has a weak voice and a 10-year-old's sense of humor, which quickly wear thin. Opening with the title track, the listener gets a sense of Voltaire's humor and giggles along with the tale of the rotting undead. "Dia De Los Muertos" is better, a spicy danceable tune with laughing violins and Spanish lyrics. With David Bowie's "China Girl," Voltaire attempts to play it straight for a few minutes. It's a serviceable cover, but feels more like a lounge version done by an amateur. "Cantina," sure to be a crowd favorite, is the worst of the bunch. Somehow, Voltaire channels Weird Al for a nearly eight minute, pornographic country and western epic that takes place in the cantina on Tatooine (that planet on Star Wars). "Son, it don't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek. But if you spread 'em both for Jabba, son, you ain't a man." Three minutes and four anal rapes would have been more than enough. Finally, the CD ends with the fun sing-along "Hell in a Hand Basket." It's not original, but it's predicable enough to easily join in. Zombie Prostitute is intended to be a teaser for Ooky Spooky, the full length album to come. Five songs were more than enough.