Half ape, Half man Knucklebone Oscar is hailing from Helsinki with a sound that is best described as a mix of  irresponsible Rock and Roll, Jungle Punk and High voltage electrified blues topped with voodoo rhythms and jungle drums.  For more then ten years now Oscar and his maniacs are touring Finland and according the press sheet the band is ready to take over the rest of Europe as well!

The album opens with a gospel choir, praising the new Messiah but within seconds a wall of noise burst open and the “Rockabilly Messiah” transforms into a pure energy! Including early hard rock influences this tune really kick some ass! “Loose Trigger Billy” is pretty much more of the same and we have to wait until “Bantam Fight” to hear a different sound. Even more vigorous then the previous tunes, “Bantam Fight” combines movies, carnies and soundscapes into the tune to blend it into a complete showcase.  It is without doubt a favourite on their live shows! Hot Pick of the album is without doubt “Haert Of the City” a tune that lean more towards old school punk then to Rock and Roll! Never the less it’s a energetic tune that swings enough to kick some ass.  Garage extravaganza is to be found on “Chicken Lover” while “Two for the Price of One” toys around with some soul influences. Traces of Rock and Roll can be found on “Mona Liza” and the often mentioned voodoo influences are found on “Boogie Bedouin” a tune that is without doubt influenced by the rhythms and tunes of King Kurt.  Closing track of the album is the title song “Back to the Jungle”. Alt.Blues magic, again with the aforementioned King Kurt references: Jungle Drums & Voodoo Mystiques.

The mix of blues, rock and roll and garage is always an interesting fact on press sheets and is often enough to drag people like over the line and start to listen to a record!  This was certainly the fact for “Back From the Jungle” the newest effort of  Knuckle Bone Oscar.  It’s not mainstream blues and will certainly not appeal to blues purist but for people with a great taste who like their meals a little different, Back From the Jungle might do the trick.

Mr Blue Boogie