Shop our Big Takeover store for back issues, t-shirts & CDs
Follow The Big Takeover
Tomas Doncker and the Tomas Doncker Band are back with their newest full-length, Moanin’ at Midnight, a tribute to the legendary Howlin’ Wolf. Wolf was among the most punk of any of the classic blues figures, so it’s only fitting the band set out to create, as they describe it, a “hardcore blues album”. The covers here are largely unpolished and raw, chugging along at a ferocious pace. Doncker’s vocals get as close as anyone can to capturing the raw intensity within Wolf’s voice, and the band gives a soul-filled, thundering performance.
Howlin’ Wolf is one of the most intimidating and legendary figures in blues history, so it’s often hard to do him right, but the band here are in fine form and sound as if they’re carrying on the torch from Wolf himself. The songs have obviously been chosen and arranged carefuly, from the hard blues of the opening song, “Evil,” to the quiet, soulful intensity of “Killing Floor”. The band often stay relatively close to the originals, but the truly great moments are songs like “Spoonful” where they stray to the breaking point, conjuring fresh and exciting new interpretations.
Overall, Moanin’ at Midnight is an imaginative yet loving tribute to the master Chester Arthur Burnett, a.k.a. Howlin’ Wolf, and yet again does the band superbly continue Doncker’s “global soul mission”. If you want to hear new and rejuvenated versions of songs previously thought as about as good as they could get, then definitely check out this album. Moanin’ at Midnight will be released July 8th.
