Though I don’t think they need to, Nashville metal band Voodoo Prophet could namedrop many to validate themselves. They’ve opened for a vast array of artists, from David Allen Coe and Hank III to Shadows Fall and All That Remains. They were named 102.9’s Best Metal Band of 2009, and recorded their most recent EP, Human?, at renowned Westfield, Mass., recording studio Zing, whose client roster includes The Devil Wears Prada, Underoath and Parkway Drive. Moreover, Voodoo guitarist Myk Ricci co-produced Human? with Eric Arena (A Day to Remember, Within the Ruins).

None of that’s too shabby, but from a personal viewpoint, Human? is a very colorful, very gripping and very tight 5-track effort that doesn’t unnerve me in a negative sense like so much metal music tends to do. Why?—because it’s melodic; Voodoo Prophet’s music modulates rather than stagnates, not to mention the band has an incredible rhythm section (Jason Mines and Michael Malcom on bass and drums, respectively).

I can hardly wax philosophical about a metal band; I’ve seen more than a few metal shows, but I watch for the same reason people watch car crashes or a pack of wolves attacking a moose—it’s abrasive and morbidly attractive, and metal and hardcore contain more activity in their live shows, both onstage and in the audience, than any other kind of music. Those qualities are audible in a recording, as they are on Human? Therefore, I think Voodoo Prophet is compelling, but I’m no metal connoisseur—I can only say that I would listen to this again.

Watch for the release of Voodoo Prophet’s music video for first single, “Human?” in mid-January. You can see some pretty photos from the shoot at voodooprophet.com.