KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Not The End Of The Road (2022)
With six studio albums under their belt and various chart entries, German classic melodic hard rockers KISSIN’ DYNAMITE established their trademark style: massive anthems and catchy hooks paired with an 80s stadium rock attitude and eccentric look. Now, the five piece is ready to release their Napalm Records debut, “Not The End Of The Road” and usher in the metal world in 2022.
Produced, recorded and mixed by vocalist Hannes Braun capturing the band’s root essence, on “Not The End Of The Road” the band serves 12 hot, kickin’ rocking tunes to bang your head from start to finish.
If you love Eclipse, Crazy Lixx and their ilk then I’m glad this CD sees a 2022 release as it just might have ousted their latest from contention for album on 2021.
If you’re going to replicate a well-trodden music genre, it’s imperative that you get the formula of the songs within said genre down to a tee and, for a band taking on the heyday of 80s glam metal and stadium rock, one such area is the chorus; it has to be powerful, easy to sing and stay in your head for a long time after the album is finished.
”Not The End Of The Road”’ has them for years!
The opening title track, a driving rock track with a message of positivity within the lyrics, is so massive it far outstrips the venues this band are currently playing. And once you’ve given the listener one, you might as well follow it up with another, right? ‘What Goes Up’ is the perfect song to follow such a bombastic opener with its DEF LEPPARD swagger and huge sing-along middle.
The momentum doesn’t stop there. The intriguingly-titled ‘Yoko Ono’ adds a little Pop savvy, danceability and quirkiness, whilst ‘Coming Home’ really hits the spot, it might have a little too much synth for some but I find the balance just right. It’s a mid-tempo ballad in the vein of early Bon Jovi. You’ll be singing this one for sure!
We’re back and rocking for ‘All for a Halleluja’ which slips down nicely and is another huge song. ‘No One Dies a Virgin’ which follows just races out of the traps with some great lyrics and a flurry of fiery guitar, but just when you think they can’t push that bar higher it’s ‘Gone for Good’ the second lighter moment that for me shows the real talent within the band. It’s huge, it’s sublime, it’s tear-jerkingly, goose-bump inducingly spectacular.
And what is this? Not content with that huge moment they immediately hit you with another! ‘Defeat It’ another of the best here, it’s a rocker in the classic mould that for me has echoes of Scorpions in the 80’s glory, but it’s more than that – it’s huge, and one of my songs of the year!
Drawing close to the end of a rather special release ‘Voodoo Spell’ adds a nice twist – all tribal beats before a clean guitar cuts in and we launch into those cool verses and soaring choruses, all held together with teh repeated guitar refrain. It’s another winner.
Listening to this, their sixth LP you can’t say KISSIN’ DYNAMITE have got sixth time lucky because their output has always been very consistent, but calling this album ”Not The End Of The Road” has paid off handsomely; it’s only the beginning.
If they’ve pulled the rock and roll slot machine and received payouts before with their studio releases, this time they’ve truly hit the jackpot. In a world that will remain uncertain for a long time to come, to have a record like this that’ll lift spirits instantaneously is an absolute joy.
You don’t just need this album in your life, you medically need it.
01 – Not the End of the Road
02 – What Goes Up
03 – Only the Dead
04 – Good Life
05 – Yoko Ono
06 – Coming Home
07 – All For a Halleluja
08 – No One Dies a Virgin
09 – Gone For Good
10 – Defeat It
11 – Voodoo Spell
12 – Scars
Pre order:
www.deepdiscount.com/kissin-dynamite-not-the-end-of-the-road/840588153947
