CD REVIEW: KICKING HAROLD – Red Light District

Label: Ultradose Music

Release Date: January 20, 2015

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewed by: Todd “Toddstar” Jolicoeur

Solid rock and roll is hard to find, but with Kicking Harold, it comes quite easy.  “American Nitro” opens the bands recent disc and it comes out swinging with great riffs and a full rock sound.  The guitars, bass, and drums come together nicely underneath the vocals.  “Dance To The Radio” is a cool track that builds on a darker sound than the previous track, but the solid rhythm section anchors the track and keeps the rock feel consistent from song to song.  “Drinkin’ To Forget You” has a poppier rock sensibility to it that allows the band to show off a different side of their sound.  The chugging guitars work well on this keyboard driven track.  “Sunflower” has a great acoustic opening that treks along slowly with mellow percussion and mellow vocals that add depth to the short song.  A decent cover of INXS’ “Need You Tonight” is a bit heavier and more guitar driven than the original, but the arrangement stays true to the original.  This is a cool take on a great song.  “Pink Flamingo” is built on a big bass foundation and grows from there, thanks to the vocals and steady drumming.  The guitar work is simple, but fills the void and gives this song a cool vibe.

“Underneath It All” incorporates a modern rock groove into the bands sound, but it works within the confines of this disc.  The chorus is catchy and features some really good fret work.  “Hollywood Way” opens with a sexy bass line that gets a little heavy with the addition of a big bass line and deep vocals that add a darker hue to the sound of the song.  The sound of this takes me back to the Corabi/Kulick sound of Union.  “Kill You” is all rock and roll.  This song allows each component to step up from time to time, whether it is the lower register of the vocals during the verse or the steady guitar and bass underneath the verse.  “Sleep It Off” comes out charging with searing guitar leads, supported by a heavy bass line and  solid drumming.  The vocals kick in and this song has a dirty / gritty rock feeling that stains your skin and gets under your nails.  “It Still Hurts” is different than most tracks on the disc, but doesn’t stray too far from the path paved thus far.  Disc closer “Let’s Fly Away” seems a bit out of place with its punk feel and attitude.  The guitars chug along add texture to the track.

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Category: CD Reviews