Label: earMUSIC/Loud&Proud 2014
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom
Wicked! What I really like about "Rock Your Face Off" is the simplicity of it all. KIX are certainly sticking to their guns and not jumping on the latest bandwagon or trying to be something they're not. It's strictly business as usual and their basic 4-chord party hard rock are blasting out through the loud speakers. Old fans should be reassured to find out that all those wasted years haven't drawn the band into a completely new or weird direction. This platter is a rocking and contains all the elements which turned the U.S. band into a fun studio as well as live act.
Opener "Wheels In Motion" sets the pace and ehhh... wheels in motion and it just doesn't let up or go of the accelerator. Steve Whiteman chew and spit out the words like a nervous, trigger-happy, good-fellow with a spanking new Tommy-Gun for Valentine's Day (famous killing in the 30s). The guitars provided by Ronnie Younkins and Brian Forsythe are hard-hitting riffs to the body and the rhythm section (Mark Schenker, Jimmy Chalfant) is booming like thunder, or if your Norse tradition would rather prefer, Thor in the sky.
Indeed. All the ingredients for a rock n roll party is certainly present and even if co-founding member and songwriter Donnie Purnell is missing out the reunion, his replacement on bass guitar (Schenker), simply picks up the torch and co-writes the majority of the twelve tracks. The production by Taylor Rhoades (Aerosmith, Ozzy, etc) is clean and very loud and the songs are exactly the type of party anthems which soon will have you up and dancing on the tables. Sure. It's KIX via 70's legends such as AC/DC and Cheap Trick [check out the excellent semi-ballad, 'Inside Outside Inn' for some Cheap Trick(s) and moves]. But they're (still) doing it with their eighties style and sound.
It's difficult to look past the lyrics of "Dirty Girls", but it's tongue-in-cheek, and they're every man's dream you know what I mean. This is straight out of the acca dacca back catalogue and the song works like a charm. The same goes for most tracks actually and "Rock Your Face Off" seems built for a jolly good time. Plenty of KIX - Highly Recommended.
www.kixband.com
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