Review | Kalamity Kills – Kalamity Kills

Independent Release on Digital Platforms

Uniting the skills and talents of KoRn’s Ray Luzier, Ace von Johnson of L.A. Guns, 3 Doors Down’s Greg Upchurch, Tourniquet’s Luke Easter, Kiarely Castillo of Conquer Divide, Julia Lauren Bullock [The Foxies, The Dead Heads], and his former bandmate of Guardian fame Tony Palacios, singer Jamie Rowe reports back with a brand-new offering: Kalamity Kills.

Rowe has kept busy since Guardian disbanded and has since released multiple solo-album under his own personal banner and a variety of bands of which AdrianGale was the most consistent. With Kalamity Kills he breaks barriers, moving into a heavier segment of rock and metal. His powerful vocals fierce and more powerful than ever, his writing skills crystalized towards the heavier genre Kalimity Kills

SERIOUS BUSINESS

On `Kalamity Kills’ Rowe means serious business. With an impressive list of guests, he delves deep to convey his new stride. The melodic powerhouse shouter adjusts to the bouncier requirements of his new effort, immediately kicking into gear with the fierce metal track ,,Anthem”, full of hard gutted vocals and growls, with intense offload of musicality in the heavy grooved rhythms. An astounding and wonderful guitar solo hit it out of the ballpark. Following this oath Kalamity Kills unleashes memorable tracks like ,,The Chemistry of Meant to Be” and the heavy ,,Hellfire Honey” that grips into Kid Rock with more swagger and ponderous groove. 

Bouncier ,,Dearest Enemy” packs some epic elements and cross over ideas twisted into melodic format. This throbbing bounce is also propelling ,,Sinner’s Welcome” with its ultra-modern twists and tempo changes, and Rowe checking all the boxes with his vocal performance. Robust and swagger-laden!

DEEP GUTTED EMOTION

Crunchy guitars drive the nesting melodies of ,,What’s on Your Mind” (originally from Information Society) and the raucous and grim ,,Burn”, leaning heavy on the bass and sound effects, the song sounds fresh and modern, with tweaked guitars and keys dueling and Rowe belting his usual register almost casually. The ominous and high-tech drizzled elements also make the jagged ,,Dark Secrets” land deep, and Jamie traverses a deep gutted emotion, singing the lyrics straight into your soul. More reverb is used on the guitars in ,,A.L.I.E.N.”, bordering it with the freshest and grooviest Extreme has brought forward. Modern, funky, with c*ck ‘n balls, and a solo in Tom Morello style. 

More at home with his classic emotional bluesy voice Rowe breathes life into The Call’s lesser known ,,I still Believe”, switching from singer-songwriter tinged emotional offload into Guardian’s classic rock power. The song could have been on any of their albums if it weren’t for the scorching distorted guitars and modern techie sound effects and echoes, enhancing it with a modern and fresh production. The song flows into the wonderful piano ballad ,,Amen” that wails with emotion and intimacy. Very dark and emotive, kept short for its appeal, the song wraps up an album full of modern twists and turns.

KALAMITY KILLS – THE CONCLUSION

Kalamity Kills has Jamie Rowe delving deep vocally and lyrically addressing pain, redemption and self-destructive manners, summing up life’s battles and triumphs. Rowe, together with his creative partner Jamey Perrenot, is expanding his creative skills on multiple accounts channeling emotions in verbal created musical outlets. The album is very consistent, with Jamie’s vocals as the binding factor, while even so it explores the modern sound specter of modern-day rock and metal. This self-titled debut is worth checking out, and will certainly bring you a smile and a tear, as it’s a thrill-ride through life. 

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