Quick Reviews: Kissin' Dynamite, Battle Beast, & Setyoursails

Since January has seen quite the flood of new releases, I figured I would take the opportunity to not only get some thoughts down on more records, but also make things a bit easier on myself. So here are some quick reviews of three albums coming out today.

Kissin' Dynamite - Not The End Of The Road

Here's an example of a band really stepping up. While they have done some good things in the past, this is easily their best and most consistent album yet. Filled with razor-sharp hooks and vocals that share a common tone with Myles Kennedy, this record nails the pop/melodic rock blueprint. It reminds me of H.E.A.T.'s epic "Tearing Down The Walls" album, and it's a better record for that style than anything that was released last year. Eclipse gets a lot of attention as one of the leaders of the melodic rock resurgance, but this record blows their effort from last year out of the water.

I'm not overly fond of the lyrical conceit of "Yoko Ono", wherein she stands in for any woman who ruins everything (because it's always a woman's fault to these people), and everything else is rather generic on that front, but you don't put on a record like this expecting a lot of brain power. This is all about fun and catchy songs, which the band is able to deliver in spades. For a good time, you can't do much better.

Battle Beast - Circus Of Doom

The best thing about a new Battle Beast album is getting to hear Noora's voice again. She is such a presence I want to love whatever she does. I don't, though. Battle Beast has been in a holding pattern, where despite Noora's incredible voice, the albums don't really stick with me. That was made even more apparent when she appeared on the Laurenne/Louhimo album, which I thought was one of the best records of last year. It was more memorable, despite being heavier, and it set a bar Battle Beast struggles to reach.

That's a relative assessment. In more absolute terms, "Circus Of Doom" is a good album that gives us plenty of melodic metal goodness. There are a couple of quirks along the way, but the core is Noora singing melodic metal with a strong pop influence. There's a bit of pop, a bit of 80s cheese, and just enough theatricality to give everything the nod-and-wink that makes it all in good fun. Battle Beast strikes me as a 'levity' band, and for that purpose, this record hits the mark.

Setyoursails - Nightfall

This modern metal band treads the same waters Infected Rain does, but they do it far better already. The formula goes back to the original days of metalcore, with the mix of harsh and clean vocals, but the music is updated for the modern, more tech and djent oriented sound. That gives the record a sound that is very dense, harsh at times, and without much breathing room. They're going for that sort of suffocation, but perhaps I'm getting too old for it.

They have loads of talent, and a strong vocalist in Jules. They're ability to craft a clean hook is what separates themselves from Infected Rain, or even Jinjer's most recent album. "Mirror" is one of the best songs of the year, and if they can find a way to capture that spark for an entire album, they can certainly make something great in the future. This record, though, is still a step behind that standout track. It's certainly a good record, and there's a lot to like about it, but the killer instinct still needs to be honed just a bit more.