Wicked Jones

Charlotte, North Carolina’s Wicked Jones exists at the crossroads where the inspirations for Guns N’ Roses and Al Green intersect. Finding such a mysterious junction may make your GPS freeze up in utter confusion, but it exists, trust me. Robert Johnson may not have sold his soul to the devil there, but he’d likely feel right at home along this freestyle freeway. This is because Wicked Jones creates hard rock with soul. (Or was that soul that rocks hard?) And before you scoff at the notion, ask yourself this sincere question: Was Jimi Hendrix a rock star or a soul singer? (If you answered “both”, you’ve proven my point).

The four-piece consists of Gregoria “G” D’Voldre on lead vocals, Jason Sossoman (guitar, vocals), Jack Kitchen (bass, vocals), and Calvin “Manny” Carter at the drums. And when this quartet comes together, it makes music about as romantic as a serial killer. Take “Sinister Love”, for example. On it “G” sings: “Sinister love/Give me your heart/Give me your blood.” This love interest might be falling into the arms of a passionate lover. Then again, she may be headed straight for the sticky trap of a spider’s web.

The group was a trio that Sossoman fronted in 2007 when “G” joined the band. “G” says hearing Ozzy Osbourne’s wildly passionate singing in Black Sabbath initially helped inspire him to recognize the infinite possibilities of combining metal power with soul passion. Most every Wicked Jones song begins with an animalistic “G” R&B scream, which is then followed by plenty of hard rock energy. But Sossoman’s blues-y slide guitar, which helps introduce “Some Highway Head”, is evidence that this is more than a one soul-man show. Furthermore, Kitchen’s bass is borderline funky, and the fact that Calvin “Manny” Carter drums at church more than proves his groove credentials.

While Black Sabbath mock praised the Ruler Of Darkness, Wicked Jones consistently expresses one wicked jones for the flesh. “G” explains “Some Highway Head” by stating: “The only way to explain this song is sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll.” And the aptly titled “Supernatural Flesh”, which was partly inspired by Christina Ricci’s sex-addicted role in Black Snake Moan, is a song that “describes a young lady who has strong desires and nobody around her knows it yet,” “G” explains.

Just as it’s tough to pinpoint on a map where Wicked Jones is coming from musically, it’s equally nearly impossible to give them a stylistic label. But any good chef will tell you that the only way to create new dishes is to take wild liberties with a wide palate of ingredients. So with Wicked Jones, what they’ve brought to the table is a whole new delicious flavor.