Review by Pete Finn for MPM
German hard rockers Kissin’ Dynamite are quite literally, “Back with a Bang!”. The 5th of July 2024 sees the release of their 8th studio album, their previous release in 2022 ‘Not the End of the Road’ reached No.2 in the German Album Chart.
Formed in 2006 whilst still at school, Johannes “Hannes” Braun (vocals), Ande Braun (guitars), Jim Müller (guitars), Steffen Haile (bass guitar) and Andi Schnitzer (drums), started writing and recording together. They sent their first demos away at the end of 2007, and in the following year they released their debut album ‘Steel of Swabia’. Tours with the likes of Steel Panther and appearances at festivals such as Waken followed.
The band line-up remained unchanged until 2022 when drummer Schnitzer decided to follow a different path, Sebastian Berg joined and Kissin’ Dynamite recorded ‘Not the End of the Road’. ‘Back with a Bang’ is released via Napalm Records and contains 12-tracks with a running time of over 46-minutes.
The album opens with the title track ‘Back With A Bang’. The incendiary start sets the tone for the record, Berg’s quick drumbeat along with power chords and a squealing solo from Braun and Müller, brings the 80’s Glam Rock memories flooding back. Hannes Braun’s vocals simultaneously bring a smile to the face and send a shiver down the spine. A great start.
Quick on the heels is ‘My Monster’, the pace continues as Braun demonstrates his vocal power and control. The galloping beats and racing guitars will be a hit both live and on the radio. It reels you in and you find yourself singing along from the first listen.
A summer party tune, ‘Raise Your Glass’ has a Bryan Adams feel to it. You’re transported back to the 80’s with this upbeat trip down Memory Lane. Braun and Müller bring short punchy riffs to the party, whilst the rhythm section of Haile and Berg have the dance floor shaking.
‘Queen Of The Night’ sees the band drag some keyboards/synths into the studio, the result is a rich silky stadium anthem. Hannes strong vocal is sitting astride the twin jet engines of guitar riffs that are being launched by Braun and Müller, this dual guitar sound is working really well. The production provides an extremely slick track.
After several years of bouncing around inside Andre Braun’s head, the guitar riff appears in ‘The Devil Is A Woman’. The guitar hook is alternating with Hannes lyrics, Berg builds the tempo. The band release an earworm of a chorus, the chants will have fists punching the air when played live. A genuine anthem.
The slow intro to ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’, lulls the listener into a false sense of security, the pace builds then the track explodes. It could be the soundtrack to an ‘All American’ soft drink advert. It’s full of passion and feel good, the guitar solo is text book 80’s.
‘I Do It My Way’ begins with a slow vocal and jangly guitar. This has more of a mid-paced AOR feel, Berg’s steady beat is prominent, but it’s Hannes strong soaring vocal that grabs the attention and draws you in.
‘More Is More’ has a bit of a different sound, the band and producer have been playing in the studio, the result is an energetic Euro-Rock track with a hint of early Bon Jovi. It’s an effective combination, the sound would fill any arena and have the audience up on their toes.
Without being disrespectful ‘Iconic’ doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the album, it’s slower and quite electronic, Hannes vocal is a bit lost in the harmonies, the guitars are camouflaged in the overall sound especially when compared to the other material on the record. It’s not a bad track, it just doesn’t have the same momentum as the others.
Normal service resumes with ‘Learn To Fly’ as Hannes squeals the track in. The charging pace is back, Berg is pounding his kit with venom, the guitars slice your ears off, the energy is off the scale as everything is pushed to breaking point, hold on tight and enjoy this whiplash inducing ride.
The penultimate track is ‘When The Lights Go Out’, the beat is steady and hard, Hannes lyrics are quick, the band are in party mood. There’s a smart mix of acoustic and electric guitars, with the latter delivering a sharp solo, the mid-section slows slightly before ramping up to an all guns blazing finish, the chorus is still bouncing around your head long after the track has finished.
An interesting choice for an album closer, ‘Not A Wise Man’ is a country style ballad. A mix of balanced harmonies and acoustic strumming, a sharp contrast to the high tempo and everything to 11 that preceded it. Again, it’s not a bad track, maybe just a bit out of place. However, it does demonstrate Hannes fabulous vocal control.
‘Back with a Bang!’ overall is a superb album, with the caveat of a couple of misplaced tracks, but they do not spoil the enjoyment at all. The production is first class, as are the performances. Stadium Rock is in good hands if Kissin’ Dynamite continue to unleash albums like this. There are a couple of gems that are a must in a live set. Kissin’ Dynamite hit the road with dates from now until the end of the year, but most disappointingly there are no UK dates, which is a real shame. Nether-the-less bag yourself a copy and you never know, their management/promoter may do the sensible thing and bring them over.

Back With A Bang track list:
1 Back With A Bang
2 My Monster
3 Raise Your Glass
4 Queen Of The Night
5 The Devil Is A Woman
6 The Best Is Yet To Come
7 I Do It My Way
8 More Is More
9 Iconic
10 Learn To Fly
11 When The Lights Go Out
Pre-order Back With A Bang here: https://lnk.to/KD-BackWithABang/napalmrecords
KISSIN’ DYNAMITE are:
Hannes Braun – vocals
Ande Braun – guitar
Jim Müller – guitar
Steffen Haile – bass
Sebastian Berg – drums