KISSIN’ DYNAMITE – Megalomania

This quintet hails from the southern parts of Germany and is celebrating the release of their fourth studio album.  Sometimes that information is all you need to know as the music doesn’t conjure orgasms or even the slightest emotional response.  But for these guys, this album opens with a marching rock beast which infests the brain with its infectious chorus and the shout-a-long parts during the verses.  The track goes by the name of DNA.

After recording four studio albums, playing live in support of W.A.S.P. and Mötley Crüe amongst other such luminaries of the rock scene, these youthful and enthusiastic whippersnappers have thrown everything at this ten song collection.  Once you’ve recovered from the prominent stomp of DNA, the ears are battered and bruised by the solid distorted guitar on Maniac Ball and VIP in Hell.

The universe of rock is in such an interesting state right now with sufficient space for not only the young modern alternative rock bands that are surfacing, but the nu-metal crowd, thrash metal, melodic rock, progressive rock and old school rock outfits.  Despite wading through the wrong side of cheese, Kissin’ Dynamite embracing the old school approach still knows how to entertain and pose with thrusts galore.

Taking a look at some of the other tracks on Megalomania, the chorus in Deadly soars without the song losing its edgy instrumentation; Running Free has no relation to the classic Iron Maiden song of the same title yet possesses its own charm, and album-closer Ticket to Paradise contains razor-sharp short bursts of guitar before finding its melodic soul.

Naturally, this band won’t appeal to everyone as they retain a certain German charm to their sound.  The essence which made the Scorpions so popular with some and not others is an observation some may make as a parallel here.  Whatever your thoughts, there is no getting away from the fact they have some catchy music with muscles to offer those who give them the time, and they execute with an efficient precision stereotypically associated with German design.

Official video for DNA –