Share the post "Album review: KICKHUNTER – Southern Kicks"
Phoenix[Release date 2014]
Kickhunter are the kind of band that makes you realize globalization is right here on your door step. Hailing from Hamburg, they are essentially a southern rock band with classic rock influences and have have toured with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deep Purple and Molly Hatchet.
They aim for pedal to the metal kick ass rocking but ultimately their big production numbers rely too heavily on gospel style backing vocals to make up for some obvious arrangements and derivative songs.
But when they do rock out, they sparkle in a classic rock meets southern rocking vein. The band who feature JC Wesenberg on vocals, Stefan Aurel and Matthias Lange on guitars, rely on AC/DC meets Whitesnake style influences with a big helping of southern rock.
They certainly have the harmonies and musicianship to cross over, but they are ultimately let down by the songs, which too often are rescued by a guitar break or big gospel bv’s from Melanie Black & Ela.
They double up the harmonies and explore recycled riffs on ‘Walls Come Tumbling Down’, on a powerful production that is everything the opening track should have been.
‘Shy Shy Shy’ has a good time Faces feel with a big vocal wall of sound and a barrel-house piano over some soaring bv’s and ‘Shine’ is a big sounding ballad with a gospel feel that suddenly shifts into big finale in the blink of an eye.
So far so good, but then they stumble into Quo’s ‘Caroline’, which reduces their already formulaic style to the realms of karaoke, while ‘Secretary Blues’ is both clichéd and instantly forgettable, save for an unexpected organ solo from Jean Jaques Kravetz.
The sweeping ballad ‘Feels Like Home’ is a much better and they are happiest on the riff driven ‘Aint Got Nothin’ Better’, the AC/DC influenced ‘Mine All Mine’, the power ballad ‘Good To Be Alive’ and best of all the frenetic ‘Boogie’.
You suspect vocalist JC Wesenberg might struggle without the bv’s as he doesn’t quite have the depth and range to nail southern rock. He’s much better on ‘Child Of Love’, a surprisingly cool groove, and the sub Iggy Pop/Bowie inflected ‘Call My Name’.
‘Southern Kicks’ is an uneven album that doesn’t quite have the songs to match it’s classy production, but when they do rock out, you can see why Kickhunter probably went down well in front of Skynyrd and Purple fans. ***
Review by Pete Feenstra
Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK
Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.
Next session: Sunday 1 December
Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio
David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 3 November 2024.
UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 29 October 2024.
How to Listen Live?
Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)
Listen via Windows Media Player. Click or tap here and “open file”
Listen via other media player (eg. VLC) Click or tap here and “open file”
Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.
More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com
Power Plays w/c 11 November 2024
ARCANE MOON Hello Sun (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC XTC (Long Branch Records)
ARCANA KINGS Here We Go (Curtain Call Records)
KLOGR face The Unknown (Zeta Factory)
BEYOND UNBROKEN Dance With The Dead (FiXT)
REVENGIN Decadent Feeling (Wormholedeath)
Featured Albums w/c 11 November 2024
09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)
Popular (last 10 days)
Share the post "Album review: KICKHUNTER – Southern Kicks"