Some cities have well-deserved reputations for breeding great hard rock and metal bands: Detroit (MC5, the Stooges, Ted Nugent), Birmingham, UK (Black Sabbath, Judas Priest), Los Angeles (Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe). Port Of Spain, Trinidad has not been on that list – until now. Orange Sky may be the band that changes that.

Lead guitarist and singer Nigel Rojas insists that he and his bandmate/younger brother Nicholas aren’t the only metal fans on the island. “We grew up listening to the radio stations that played music from the States,” he recalls. “Every Thursday night there was a show that would come on called Rock Concert, and that guy would be playing Ozzy, Scorpions, Judas Priest, you know? So then the record stores started to bring records in, because people who’d been listening to the shows wanted to have the music, and about four record stores opened up and those guys became millionaires really fast, selling Ozzy stuff, and Scorpions, and Mötley Crüe.”

Meanwhile, Nigel and Nicholas were learning to make music of their own. “Nick is five years younger than me, so we grew up jamming together,” Nigel says. “When I was about ten, my aunt taught us to play a couple chords on guitar, and I showed Nicholas what I knew, and we’ve been jamming ever since. We’ve never really parted ways, in terms of having this dream that we could grow old together play music and see the world.”

The brothers formed Orange Sky and began playing gigs in their home country, rapidly gaining a reputation as a highly entertaining live act. They opened for a wide range of touring stars, from Metallica to Ludacris. Signed to Granite/Universal, they released their first album, Upstairs, in 2006, and supported it with a 44-date U.S. tour opening for Yngwie Malmsteen. As a guitarist, Nigel recalls the experience of watching Yngwie night after night as “like penis envy. I just wanted to pick up a ukulele and go home.”

Still, they won fans. “Our live show is sex for us,” says Nigel. “That’s where we make our real connection. The recording is one thing, and we respect that, but the real connection is the live show. We love to play and we love to connect in that way.”

They’re now ready to unleash their second album on the world, and Nigel says it’s packed with music that existing fans and new listeners alike will go wild for. “Dat Iz Voodoo has stuff that’s really meant to be played live. Not just songs to listen to, but songs to bang your head to.”

“It’s a more progressive record,” he continues. “We were a little more open to each other, playing songs we knew would go off better live.”

Dat Iz Voodoo runs the gamut from the delicate, piano-led ballad “Never” to the almost thrash “Psycho World,” from the industrial-strength reggae-rock of their take on the Scorpions’ “Is There Anybody There?” to the crunching funk-metal riffs of “Dark Room” – a dozen songs in all, guaranteed to get fists pumping and moshpits swirling, with a couple of lighters-in-the-air, arm-around-your-girl moments in between.

Orange Sky doesn’t shy away from political engagement, either. Nigel has talked on the band’s blog about his issues with the Trinidadian government, and tackles issues of injustice and poverty throughout Dat Iz Voodoo – but he writes love songs, too. “I would say Bob Marley inspired me very much as a lyricist, but so did Ozzy,” says Nigel. “We talk about everything – life, death, romantic angst.”

Dat Iz Voodoo represents a new beginning for Orange Sky. After leaving Granite/Universal, they were signed to StarCity Recording Company by Jeff Glixman and Jim Gentile. StarCity, incorporating a state-of-the-art recording facility as well as their record label and artist management division and headed by Phil Ehart of rock legends Kansas, brings the industry know-how and the passion that a young band from an unexpected place needs. But Orange Sky has the kind of work ethic and drive that should guarantee them success, no matter where they hail from.

“We put out everything we have,” says Nigel. “We do what we would like to see done if we go to a show. The best compliment we ever got was someone said, ‘You guys sound and perform like if the Wailers and Black Sabbath had a baby.’”

Dat Iz Voodoo is out now on StarCity Recording.