Kontrust-Explositive

Napalm Records
2014


"Explositive" is the latest release from Austria genre-mix and max/crossover rock band Kontrust. Having previously been exposed to this band's wild and crazy antics thanks to 2012's "Second Hand Wonderland" (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2012/04/kontrust-second-hand-wonderland.html) I sort of knew what I was getting into with the band's new album. And by that I mean that I came in expecting the unexpected! For those who know and love Kontrust no further explanation will be needed so just buy "Explositive" and be done with it. For everyone else here is the deal (or, as best as we can (seeing as this one is way left of anything resembling normal heavy metal and/or rock!) we are going to try to explain the ins and outs of this "interesting" band on paper and just by peeking at the first number on "Explositive"!). On one hand the band is hook happy and spiritually free and on opener "Dance" lead singer Agata is as lively and carefree as the music itself. The group uses bouncy beats and the track's title almost lives up to it's name. Everything is right with the world it would seem. But, then the madness starts to rear it's unnerving face! For it seems as soon as you think you've got the band or the number figured out these hard metal guitar solos hack and slash their way through the door and that party you thought you were at turns into a bloodbath! Underground trash metal riffs worm their way deep into what was otherwise a pop song causing all kinds of hell to break loose! So, it's pop rock and street lethal hard and heavy metal doing the midnight tango while the world casually burns down around them! And that's just track one for you folks! For this bizarrely bouncy band, which incidentally was formed back in 2001 out of the ashes of a group called Suicide Mission and is known for dressing up in lederhosen for some odd reason for their live shows(!), nothing is really off limits and it's the old stand-by of "let's throw everything but the kitchen sink into our music and call it a day!". When it comes to the full-length "Explositive" it's not just the the sky that is the limit but the universe itself! By utilizing unusual instrumentals and brazenly abandoning any sense of logic when it comes to song titles and song lyrics Kontrust makes unusual music for unusual people. All of which would make it sound as if this album is nonstop hilarity in the making right? Somehow it's never that simple. While there might just be some strong ideas tossed about on their latest album for Kontrust it does not exactly translate into a sure-fire winner. Yes, fans should appreciate the latest body of work from Kontrust, but it's highly that "Explositive" will be the type of album that will attract casual listeners. This has all the hallmarks of an album that would be listened to once and then put aside for something more structurally sound. And that in and of itself was the problem I had with 2012's "Second Hand Wonderland". As weirdly charming and sonically disruptive as it was to the senses it did not make for a casual "hit once and then hit repeat" release which all but ruined it's long-term worthiness. Kontrust are very much like every one's favorite kooky relative that is fun to be with on holidays, but if you were to live with him or her ALL YEAR LONG the novelty of it all would quickly wear off. In a nutshell "Explositive" was fun the first time around, but like some things in life it's never the same experience the second time around....



 You can find Kontrost online at: http://www.kontrust.info/