Simon RushworthKissin’ Dynamite — Back With A Bang (Napalm)
On the back of 2016’s joyously kicks-ass Rushonrock Record Of The Week Generation Goodbye, hard rock heroes Kissin’ Dynamite scooped back-to-back Best German Band gongs at the coveted Metal Hammer Awards.
Gone were the lingering doubts over the potential, future and vision of this eye-catching quintet — the fears and misgivings brought about by metallised misstep Megalomania finally put to bed.
And the last eight years has been one triumph after the next for the flamboyant Braun brothers and their colourful sidekicks Jim Müller, Steffen Haile and Andi Schnitzer.
2022’s Not The End Of The Road was very much a statement of riff-fuelled Teutonic intent.
The message was loud and clear: the first 15 years were simply the end of the beginning.
This was the sound of a band buoyed by confidence and only just getting started.
As a result, Back With A Bang’s a rather maddening, perverse title (ok, we get the Dynamite bit).
Back from where? Any self-respecting rocker will have had these rabble rousers on their radar constantly for the past decade and more.
Unless we missed it Kissin’ Dynamite have never been away and perhaps mid-set fist pumper The Best Is Yet To Come would have best described album number eight.
It sure sounds that way.
This is, undeniably, Kissin’ Dynamite’s best album to date.
Drawing on the raw appeal of Addicted To Metal and leaning heavily on Not The End Of The Roadfrontman/producer Hannes Braun’s ear for a hair metal banger, this party-starting long player’s up there with Nestor, H.e.a.t and Collateral.
Back With A Bang? Kissin’ Dynamite just exploded.
Kissin’ Dynamite having a blast
More Is More is another apt mantra for one of the most enticing bands on the planet right now.
Leaning heavily on chart-busting Bon Jovi, its almost misty-eyed reimagining of rock and roll’s era of peak 80s excess works a treat.
And here’s a thing: 35 years ago Kissin’ Dynamite would have given fellow countrymen Scorpions and Kingdom Come a run for the Deutschmarks.
It’s a while since we’ve come across a record that really does boast all killer and absolutely no filler.
But the songwriting craft, supersonic mix and heady sense of bravado makes for an absolute blast of an album.
Earworms aplenty pace a series of exceptionally catchy singalongs.
And if this doesn’t yield a first chart-topping record in their home country then the world’s gone mad!
The bullish title track and Iconic could easily be culled from any one of the last few Slash and Myles Kennedy releases.
In fact when Hannes lets rip it’s like listening to Alter Bridge’s esteemed leader fronting Reckless Love (remember them?).
Raise Your Glass could — and surely should — be adopted as the German FA’s anthem of choice if Julian Nagelsmann and co. best Spain tonight [July 5] and go on to lift the Euro 2024 title.
It’s like Busted-meets-Baby Rattlesnakes with its addictive pop-rock sensibility.
And the subtle keys on the killer Queen Of The Night add a classy touch to one of the throwback highlights here.
As for emotive set closer Not A Wise Man? It’s a made-for-MTV Unplugged ballad that would have been massive in 1991. If only.
Kissin’ Dynamite: lip-smacking pyro like no other.
