Search - Endeverafter :: Kiss Or Kill

Kenneth W. (Eyesore) from TAUNTON, MA
Reviewed on 12/15/2007...

For the past few years, the US mainstream market has been giving more and more attention to bands that churn out old school rock music; Supagroup, Airbourne (Roadrunner is reissuing their debut in 2008), Miss Crazy (just signed a three-record deal), even Sebastian Bach (ex-Skid Row) has gotten an unexpected (but deserved) amount of exposure for his latest album Angel Down, considering five years ago it would have largely been ignored. Well, Endeverafter now join the ranks of modern rock bands injecting that old school flavor with their Razor & Tie Entertainment debut, Kiss Or Kill. But while other bands manage to channel their sound completely from that old (and great) era of music, Endeverafter ocassionally struggle with this, hopping from foot to foot, from 80s rock to something more akin to modern alternative rock.

Kiss Or Kill immediately lines up four hefty shots of no-frills, gritty rock 'n' roll -- with maybe a bit too much sheen. "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Poison" are both driving rock songs, sometimes bordering on metal with their double bass, galloping riffs, and speedy leads; but their big hooks betray that notion. While "Baby Baby Baby" and "Gotta Get Out" don more traditional garb, mid-paced AC/DC-like anthems. The modern stylings first surface during the chorus of "Gotta Get Out," touching upon something Blink 182 might have written, but it bares itself full on the ballad "Next best Thing." While the power ballad was something of a staple in the eighties, here it comes off like a stolen (post-mainstream success) Hoobastank song. It simply lacks the magic of a true rock ballad, leaving much to be desired. But it has radio hit written all over it.

Endeverafter haven't struck gold with Kiss or Kill, but they're not far off the mark either. While some songs may sort of lose their identity in a shallow sea of radio pop, they also find redemption every time with quality songwriting, whether showcasing a rock style ("Tip Of My Tongue"), metal ("Road To Destruction"), or the unfortunate (but still decent) foray into pop oblivion ("All Night"). Kiss Or Kill won't blow you away from beginning to end, but among the good there stands tall a few that are great.

Website: http://www.endeverafter.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/endeverafter

Fantastic album

Michael L. Mowl | ROGERSVILLE, TENNESSEE United States | 10/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not sure if I would call this Heavy Metal or just rock but there is a good blend of hard edged guitar driven songs and even a power ballad on this CD. I let a friend borrow it and he ordered the CD the next day. Put this one on your list to buy!"