KICKIN VALENTINA – Raw Trax, B-Sides And Bootlegs (2025) *HQ*
Bored with the rock music landscape of the time dominated by modern or bro-rock bands – KICKIN VALENTINA set out to play rock‘n’roll the way they wanted to hear it: loud, unapologetic, and 100% live, with no backing tracks and a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.
Fast forward to May 2025, and the band is set to release their fifth album, “Raw Trax, B-Sides, and Bootlegs” worldwide via Mighty Music / Target Group. Once again produced by Andy Reilly (UFO, Bruce Dickinson) at Muse Productions in Atlanta and mastered by Joel Wanasek, the album is a collection of unreleased songs, demos, and live recordings from the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany.
Naturally continuing from where the outstanding last album 2024 ‘Star Spangled Fist Fight’ left off, “Raw Trax, B-Sides, and Bootlegs” album opens with a trio of fully polished studio cuts which reinforce just how their songwriting skills have been honed over the last few albums.
Opener Blame It On Rock ‘n’ Roll, defined by its mammoth sound captured by longtime desk ace Andy Reilly, hits the ground running. Riff, rhythm ‘n’ thunder with a perfect raw yet melodic intonation in the vocal is their contagious formula.
Heber’s hugely infectious riff on The Gotaways sinks its talons into you from the outset with a perfect balance of commercial appeal and good time R’n’R. Further impelled by CT’s thunderous bass and Jimmy’s titanic drums, D.K.’s rasp strides the raw and energetic with harmonious inflexion. This is nowhere better demonstrated than when the anthemic bridge heads into the equally participative chorus.
Third and final studio cut, The Wild Ones, is from the same stable of impelling riff-driven rock ‘n’ roll, with great melodic hooks during the verses.
Next up are a brace of live recordings captured during their late afternoon set at 2019’s Bang Your Head Festival in Germany. Sweat announces their arrival in frenetic style. Does anyone remember The Boyzz who featured on that much-heralded Sounds/CBS compilation album back in the day? Well, D.K’s vocal on this brace has the same abrasive yet enthralling red raw quality. It is also a delight to hear Chris’ bass given more prominence in the mix.
Easy Rider is another live favourite that sees the audience coaxed into accompanying the bass intro. Deliciously spiked with the peeling guitar that saw AC/DC conquer the globe, in my experience, this number has been most popular amongst the ladies in the audience.
Following up, is an early performance of live favourite Freakshow captured during Lockdown. The guitar intro has that same agitated pattern as Givin’ The Dog A Bone. Delightful for many reasons, one being that it appears to occupy that median between a polished studio recording and an atmospheric concert performance. Secondly, it serves as a marker to illustrate just how far the final version evolved.
Is there no end to the infectious riffs? War contains one of the finest in the Kickin Valentina arsenal, and it appears in pure demo form here. One can sense the solidarity between members as the band expends energy in a ‘Let us show you just how fucking good this is’ kinda way.
Completing this collection is a second demo in End Of The Road, which demonstrates a sunnier, more commercial approach.
In summary, the previously unreleased studio tracks possess a huge sound emphasising the impeccable compositional, arranging and execution skills at play while the live and demo captures showcase the raw and the rawer. As one eagerly anticipates what may emerge on their next full-length release, this interstitial compilation certainly satisfies an itch.
Live, they are a sensational, adrenaline-fuelled, foot-to-the-floor groove machine with every member contributing 110% to their sound.
Really good stuff, Highly Recommended
01 – Blame it on Rock n Roll
02 – The Gotaways
03 – Wild Ones
04 – Sweat (Live)
05 – Easy Rider (Live)
06 – Freakshow (Lockdown Live)
07 – War (Demo)
08 – End Of The Road (Demo)
D.K. Revelle – vocals
Heber Pampillon – guitars
Chris Taylor – bass
Jimmy Berdine – drums
Pre order:
imusic.co/music/5700907272900/kickin-valentina-2025-raw-trax-b-sides-bootlegs-cd
