Review: Kickin’ Valentina – Super Atomic

Highway 9 Records (2015)

Reviewer: Aaron Chatfield

First time I heard the name Kickin Valentina was when they were announced as part of the line up for the Rockerz Go Wild gig that acts as an unofficial pre-cruise party to the infamous Monsters of Rock Cruise, however, I have never really taken the time to listen to their music, so I was looking forward to my first taste.

Super Atomic is a 7 track EP (6 really, as the opener ‘Sermon’ is just a spoken word intro), and is the band’s second release. If you are a fan of loud, dirty & gritty Rawk n f**k n Roll, then this may be your bag. ‘On My Side’ launches itself from the speakers on the back of a driving drums and a chugging guitar riff, before vocalist Joe Edwards makes his presence felt. He’s got the type of pipes that are unique to rock, the right mix of sawdust and motor oil. It’s a great start and if I owned a Dodge Charger, I’d want this to blast when I turned the key!

‘Wrong Way’ and ‘When You’re Gone’ continue the assault. Straight ahead rockerz that remind me in parts of bands like Junkyard and Little Caesar, with a little Salty Dog and Sea Hags in parts. The music is pretty straight forward, but the songs are well crafted for the genre. The album closes with ‘Fist n Twist’, ‘Some Kind of Atomic Poster Boy’ and ‘Some Kind of Sex’, none of which is going to see KV at the top of the charts, but will keep any beer fueled party going until the morning.

Overall, I like this band, four on the floor, V8, nitro fuelled, rock n roll which will get you playing air guitar and downing your beer in a heartbeat. If you are after lush keyboards, 4 octave vocals and soaring guitar leads, then keep walking, if you are in the mood for a party (preferably outside, by a pool, with burgers and ribs on the BBQ), then you could do far worse!