Kill Kasper

In this small town of fakers and hopeful makers, we boast a mighty lot of hope upon certain genres of music. Certain crowds will attend certain gigs, friends will support and the local rag will slate and embrace in any way they feel fit. One band to stick to their proverbial guns with more regenerations than Doctor Who under their belts are Southsea rockers Kill Kasper, who have officially released EP ’Stuck Between The Devil & The Blues In Drop C’.

The 3-track smash slams in with ‘Start The Revolution’ the ever dulcet tones of The Kolonel wade in and the drums frenzy around anthemia rock and roll guitars. What’s clear from the word go is the two clear fingers if you disagree with what you are hearing, attitude backed with experience leaving you in a ludicrous position to argue any kind of point.

Speak to Kill Kasper personally and they will tell you the EP is a long time coming, but once heard you can excuse them with good reason. Kill Kasper do what they do in such a manner, with such technique and in such gentlemanly fashion that it all adds up and turns everything to 11.

Nobody within the city of Portsmouth do what Kill Kasper do as well as they do it, ‘Rock This City’ begs lyrically nationwide, in a ‘go and clean your ears out’ fashion or a ‘switch off the tele and turn on the wireless’ kinda way. Duelling guitars are once again prominent backed up by heavy bass line and drums, no faults here. It just goes on.

Closing track ‘Who Lied’ is a 7 minute ode to everything that has ever fucked you off, or fucked off the Kolonel…Here at SouthSolarCity, we aren't 100% sure. Pounding drums around the ever present Kill Kasper vocal mirrored by the swirling guitars build before a outright shattering chorus and immense solo licking bridge. One very emotional ride.

The first official EP outing for Kill Kasper is a roaring success ‘Stuck Between The Devil & The Blues In Drop C’ boasts future with the right amount of the past, everything they can be with not just a foot in the door but being able to swing it both ways. They've got the key to a big blue box, they've got a timeless sound and the attitude to boot, Kill Kasper are coming. I for one hope the world is ready. - South Solar City

Kill Kasper's debut EP Stuck Between The Devil And Blues In Drop C is everything they described on their Facebook page: "loud, dirty rock music in [an] old ammunitions dump in a quiet part of the city." In their official description of the record, Kill Kasper notes: "We don't care if the music is fashionable or not and we aren't trying to be the next big thing. We're just making tunes we're passionate about and hope a few of you out there dig them too." Indeed, Stuck Between The Devil And Blues In Drop C is modest and reserved yet loud and bombastic at the same time. In spite of their promise for music that simply shows "what they are passionate about," this record still accomplishes as an ostentatious soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic war in a ravaged desert wasteland, or even and quite simply noise to pulsate through your earphones as you strut down the street. Through their attempts at modesty and a blatant desire to just have fun, Kill Kasper have created a melodious but blaring and epic white noise.
Perhaps fittingly starting the EP is a raucous anthem called "Start The Revolution." The first notes are played by a filthily distorted guitar, followed by Kolonel Kasper's sinister crooning. "You can hold me back / you can run my name / but I can run for miles and miles," he says, as if challenging the audience through a large megaphone. The curtain unfolds, and the entire ensemble begins to play; Kasper malevolently yet elegantly pulls aside the veil and gives us a glimpse of his army. "Start The Revolution" is, after all, the title of the song; Kill Kasper and their dramatic entrance embodies this notion to "begin." I imagine the band standing atop a city skyscraper, beckoning the people to come forward to be a part of the revolutionary movement. The notion to "start the revolution" extends to the idea that the recruits themselves are encouraged to spread "the revolution." These notions to revolution are complemented by the searing of Kasper and Paul Karuana's guitars and the pulsating of Matt Knight's bass, backed by the stomping of Sean Kenneally's drums. Combine all these sounds and you get a flamboyant and dirty rock anthem calling forth revolution.
"Rock This City" starts off with a clean guitar and Kasper's vocals before sliding back into the zone of dirty rock. If "Start The Revolution" is about the birth of a force, "Rock This City" is about a rebirth. "Nobody knows me," Kasper sings in the chorus as he searches for a rebirth to his identity. After the song drops into a wailing guitar solo, Kasper then sings "oh sweet Lord I gotta rock this city," the explicit declaration of his challenge to find rebirth. The song ends with one last guitar solo, a stark contrast to the beginning where it was only Kasper's vocals and a clean guitar. The song's progress from a quiet ballad to a loud track, in itself, represents the call to rebirth and to "Rock This City."
The record then swings into a pulsating bass guitar and bass drum march called "Who Lied," embellished by a fiery guitar simmering beneath. "Who," Kasper asks as the bass guitar and drums wallop your ear drums; Kill Kasper draws you in, beckoning you to march as Kasper searches for this "who." "I want you to live forevermore / I want you to live forever!" Kasper belts this line right before the song drops into a cinematic, instrumental interlude. Following the rebirth of "Rock This City," the theatrical anthem "Who Lied" is a self-evaluation; the aftermath of a burning city after a revolt. "I want you to fly like angels fly" Kasper sings, assuring his audience that they will reap the rewards of fighting the revolution. He seals this promise by repeating "I want you to live forever" and offering the audience one last guitar solo interlude. The song then tails off peacefully, with the outro emulating the beginning of the song; a slow and quieting bass groove accompanied, this time without the marching bass drum.
Stuck Between The Devil And Blues In Drop C is the perfect soundtrack to your daily revolution, stomp around the block, or simply loud white noise to block out the world. I highly recommend this record to anyone seeking twenty minutes of dirty, passionate rock music.
- 24ourMusic