Stephen
Kissin' Dynamite is probably Germany's big successor candidate to that country's metal throne, delivering a high-octane heavy metal barrage in 'Addicted To Metal', the young band raise their game after the 2008's promising debut, 'Steel of Swabia'. Still adopting Helloween's power metal teaching but mostly in a slower tempo, they also provide some Manowar nods to spice up their music, and Johannes Braun is surely one of the most talented singers I ever heard.
The first track, 'Addicted To Metal', with guest appearance of Udo Dirkschneider, is pretty good and though it looks like a strong offering, the best track is actually on the next one, 'Run For Your Life'. Followed by 'Supersonic Killer', the riff is sensational and the vocal power is monster. 'High Enough' is an unexpected surprise of Damn Yankees cover, nice harmony, and the low tuning guitar overdrive is a unique approach by them, and turns out to be a pleasant thing.
Entering the second half, the road is a bit bumpy, some weaker tunes such as 'All Against All' or 'In The Name of The Iron Fist' are blocking the road but some other ground-breaking songs such as 'Hysteria' or 'Assassins of Love' are good for the ears. The ballad, 'Why Can't You Hear Me', is another proof that they can write softer tune as good as an AOR expert, and hail to 'Metal Nation', a bombastic closer and another personal fave of mine.
Some superb solos and great production made this disc a brilliant buy. The volatility in the songwriting consistency is perhaps only the matter of their young age and I believe time is their friend and I'm pretty sure they can maintain the growth in the next album. So if you're addicted to metal, how can you pass on this?
