Given the close geographical and cultural ties between Jamaica and New Orleans, a local reggae superstar seems like a very good idea indeed. But is this the man to do it? Hard to say, even after a decade of solid output. Voodoo Reggae, his latest, sounds like a treaty of sorts: The Soul Avenger seems for the first time to be thinking locally and not globally, casting himself as THE Crescent City Rasta for all seasons, from the album title on down.

Unfortunately, he’s got nothing to say this time. None of the news he’s bringing will be news to anyone who’s even brushed up against reggae: there’s the Haile Selassie shout-out in “Now Or Never,” the sensitive lover’s rock of “Forever Love,” the redemption song of “Black Holocaust.” Even when Hunter’s attempting to rally his fellow dreads, such as on “We Are The Lions,” his religious mandate sounds about as exciting as, say, Christian rocker Carman’s. His recent decision to rely on spoken-word freestyling instead of melodic invention doesn’t help, either.

To be fair, a lot of what’s wrong can be blamed on the production; sterile and thin, it can’t hope to capture the restless vitality of Hunter’s best live performances. But it’s for just that vitality that Hunter remains reggae’s best local hope. With the right guidance, the Soul Avenger might still be able to live up to his promise.