Review | Kissin’ Dynamite – Back With A Bang!

Napalm Records

Would you kiss a stick of dynamite about to make a big bang?!
With a stick of dynamite and a short fuse remaining, the Napalm Records release is a sober, yet all saying statement of musical attitude of Kissin’ Dynamite. `Back with a Bang’ is a fragmentation shell full of hard rock’s most lethal shrapnel from rocking ages, detonating with every spin!

HAVING A GOOD TIME

Stadium rockers Kissin’ Dynamite are overly active performing and recording. Their tight schedule broken to release a new album always has fans and enthusiasts on edge. Maintaining their stride, the band injects the energy from their wild and engaging shows into the new tracks making them explode with impressive forte. Focusing on having a good time and partying hard, the German rockers fuse their songs with flammable riffs and volatile drums and bass, while the action-packed combustion dripping with Hannes Braun’s raw and stirring vocals. Catchy and hook-filled the tracks draw from the best arena rockers of the past. Blending AC/DC’s classic swagger and recognizable hooks with Skid Row prowess while unloading Def Leppard’s impressive melodic slickness, Kissin’ Dynamite kisses and licks the stick that is ready to burst!

When Ande Braun and Jim Müller ignite their guitars and Hannes Braun pitches the album into action while unleashing his typical soaring vocals, the title track takes flight instantly. It is raw, it is sharp, and it drops bombshells on the listener from the get-go. Gigantic hooks and an instantly catchy chorus give the song its insane melodic appeal. The powerful groove laid down by drummer Sebastian Berg and bassist Steffen Haile deploys the right amount of force and makes your speakers swing with swagger.

A REAL STUNNER

The gritty ,,The Devil is a Woman’’ features rousing accolades and a catchy bridge and chorus. ,,More is More’’ pounds with hammering, intensifying drums that revive Gotthard memories. ,,Iconic’’ drones into action with rapped vocals opening to another iconic melodic chorus. The enormous hooks, modern synths and droning bass underneath the vocals give it a poppy, loud facade.

The real stunner is the heavy yet slick and catchy ,,Learn to Fly’’. Hannes’ wonderful vocal delivery tops it off perfectly, drawing from all registers, bringing an impressive range to the front. The towering, powerful music borders with the best pomp rock tracks recorded, and the bass lick discharges great momentum with the guitars swirling and deploying an intense solo duel.

Entirely different, the Americana vibe of ,,When the Lights go Out’’ evokes D.A.D.-memories, molded onto the carcass of typical Kissin’ Dynamite ingredients: Heavy on its instrumentation and interplay, packed memorable hooks and nesting melodies, and Hannes’ powerful vocal pitches make it rock solidly. Constantly exploding with breaks and heavy hits, the song smacks into swirling guitar licks while rousing out louder with its slick ‘uuhs and aahs’ in the middle. Balancing on the verge of cliché, however, Kissin’ Dynamite licks the paved paths of the past, stubbornly carving their own way through the classic rock and hair metal jungle. Slashing left to right, axes swinging high, the band holds and enforces its position. 

ARENA GRANDEUR

When you immerse yourself in the AOR-tinged ,,My Monster’’ the drizzling keys and powerful riff discharge grip you in a sonic embrace. The songs exude an impressive energy and power that captivates the fans and listeners. ,,Queen of the Night’’ injects rousing guitar licks and pumping keys into the mix, causing the AOR melodies to swirl with a powerful strut, igniting an irresistible urge for fist pumping.

Hard rocking like in the 80s and 90s, ,,Raise Your Glass’’ unleashes enormous nesting hooks and a chorus that immediately grips, evoking air-drumming euphoria. Blending these ingredients with strumming guitars and lush atmospheres, ,,The Best is Yet to Come’’ is insanely catchy, mixing sunshine vibes with arena grandeur in its cohesive fusion of appealing styles.

Mellowing down a bit more, ,,I do it My Way’’ is even subtler, before storming into its chart-topping melodic refrain. Towering with great hooks and powerful interplay, the song has an indelible pulse propelling it into its glorious bridge and chorus, where harmonized vocals and Hannes’ impressive pipes take center stage. Versatile and switching registers with ease, Hannes belts an impressive performance, which is doubled in the harmonies, creating a rich tapestry of sound. His vocal prowess shines through, effortlessly navigating the intricate melodies and soaring to new heights discharging the right emotion.

KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – THE CONCLUSION

Toning down for the slow-mover ,,Not a Wise Man”, the band display their compositional creativity. The guitars at fine tone, the song strums forward with brisk vocal interaction full of glorious harmonies and Hannes’ warming vocals at the front. He pitches and moans atop the reverting chorus, reviving the classic rock hit singles of the good ol’ days. The melody and chorus are catchy as hell, immediately nesting.

`Back with a Bang!’ is a masterclass in arena rock and hair metal, blending powerful grooves with hard-hitting riffs, infectious hooks and enchanting melodies into a cohesive and captivating mix that is fierce and fiery, constantly exploding with energy-charged bliss. Each song a daunting statement of the band’s creativity and musicianship as well as their ability to craft anthems resonating on every level. Reporting back with a serious bang, Kissin’ Dynamite is on the rise!

PS: if you really want to impress all of your eighties and nineties headbanging friends at your annual poolside BBQ party, make sure to purchase the vinyl edition issued on yellow wax vinyl or regular black vinyl, or as the limited vintage style red cassette tape in the flashy cassette-box!!!

The CD itself is released in a range of different deluxe versions, including a live CD and karaoke CD added, as well as a version featuring the documentary `They said Rock is Dead!’. All come in different colored versions with matching artwork. 

Fans: get to their web store and dig in, because Kissin’ Dynamite really is back with a Bang!

Release date: 5 July 2024