The second studio album for Hamburg’s upcoming act, the VOO, touches a lot of emotional fibres, not only for its uncanny blend of sounds but also for what this record represents.

the VOO – Brother VOO

Brother VOO is the culmination of a dream for two talented musicians and a beautiful homage to the memory of band member Andrew Krell.

Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, the duo comprised of Ben Gallier (Vocals, Guitar) and Andrew Krell (Double Bass) made some waves with their debut LP Dreamrocknroll (2021), a work that defined the original and creative musical style of this pair, combining elements of genres like Surf Rock, Stoner Rock, and Psychedelic.

That same year, the band was preparing what would be their second album; unfortunately, the tragic passing of Andrew Krell in January of 2022 changed things drastically for the VOO. Despite this, Ben decided to finish what he and his friend started, resulting in a double album that exceeded the expectations set in their previous work.

The introductory track, ‘Do The Voo’, mixes a Stoner riff with a slow surf guitar, evoking a feeling of surreal calm, something that I could only describe as being abducted by rocker aliens and slowly getting dragged into their spaceship.

The usage of inventive ideas in the songs of this record becomes evident in tracks like ‘Starfish Stiletto’ and ‘The Key’, with a slow tempo and haunting back vocals prevailing through this ethereal soundscape.

‘Me & My Ego’ picks up the pace by being a more traditional surf rock melody, lively and catchy as it gets, with the whimsical lyrics adding an extra dose of coolness into the mix.

Something worth recognizing is this band’s versatility, singles like ‘Interstellar Afternoon, High’, and ‘HighsandLows’ fall into a more relaxed sound, creating the sensation of floating in the vacuum of space.

‘The Rise Of The Surfin’ Dead’ is a hypnotic instrumental piece that reminds us what makes surf rock so pleasing to the ears, functioning as a convenient intermediate break.

‘Moonrider’ is the oddity of this first half (in a good way, of course). The upbeat rhythm contrasts spectacularly with the mood established previously, making it almost impossible to don’t tap your feet with its infectious beat.

Disc two of this double album is as mind-boggling and fascinating as the first part, including the brief and experimental Interludes 1, 2, and 3, live recordings, and some brilliant demos like ‘Deep’ and ‘The Nature of the Beast’, all charged with their characteristic weirdness.

‘Rehearsal Room Drone’ wraps things up majestically with its mesmerizing ambience, closing what’s been a journey into a fantastical aural rabbit hole.

Brother Voo is a victory on a personal and professional level, strange, trippy, and introspective, and definitely an LP worthy of a round of applause.

Usually, I like to give my final thoughts on my reviews, but on this particular occasion, I’m going to make a small exception to include a message by Ben Gallier regarding his collaborator and friend Andrew Krell:

Brother VOO, here it is, our double album, we did it! These are all the songs we recorded together before you left, plus demos, live recordings and some Vooey studio weirdness. We didn’t manage everything we had planned, I guess some songs will just have to stay between you and me. Thank you for creating this with me, I love it. More than anything, I wish we could listen to it together…I’ll beam a copy into outer space for you.

We all miss you here.

Dreamrocknroll forever!

Love, Ben

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Words Javier Rodriguez

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