Edge of Sunrise Kill Van Kull Released – 2006 (self released) Track List 1. Hot Daze 2. Then You Were Gone 3. Through The Night 4. Sweet Summertime 5. Kick Em And Smile 6. Edge of Sunrise 7. On The Run 8. Rock It Steady 9. Summer Rose 10. The Bottom 11. Hell From Above 12. Out Of The Blue Sky

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kill Van Kull named after the river that separates Staten Island from New Jersey certainly seemed to be well linked into the past without being nostalgic. These guys have found new and interesting ways to create modern, melodic blues infused hard rock steeped in the tradition from their early days in the 80s. All while showing some sensitivity and range with an instrumental or two.

They have a very distinct, unmistakeable New York flavour going on that lends itself to the great rock, blues and jazz musicians of days gone by. No truer is this then on ‘Sweet Summertime’, a slinky little number you’d expect to hear coming from some small, seedy back alley of a club in ol’ New York. It’s the same deal with the jazzy, fluctuating, sax heavy instrumental ‘The Bottom’, like something out of the Blues Brothers. ‘Rock It Steady’ follows in a similar way with a good use of brass and big band/rock contours. It must be said I’m not usually attracted to something with saxophone but Kill Van Kull have honestly done it in a stylish way.

This is a chameleon band for damn sure. They aptly switch on you from heavy riffs and solos in ‘Hot Daze’, the 80s acoustics and modern hard rock of ‘Then You Were Gone’, the small (very small) Corabi ‘Crue elements of ‘Through The Night’ and the hilarious ‘n heavy ‘Kick Em And Smile’ about rough days at work to the aforementioned blues/jazz to something like the instrumental title track, Edge of Sunrise with it’s slow and siren like aesthetics that to me are an interpretation of 9/11 (though I could be way of the actual mark on that one).

I’m not sure how they did it but Kill Van Kull have pulled together a wide range of instruments and sounds without the album coming off disjointed. It’s quite well balanced and it seems to me they have covered every base. Obviously their influences go way beyond the usual rock band and for once I can use the word eclectic without any hesitation.

If you really like you’re rock, and I mean being really open to all facets that make up our favourite style of music, then you’ll be open to the ideas and sonic switches this packed album has to offer.

Visit: www.killvankull.com – www.myspace.com/killvankull

Dirty Rock review by ‘Jonni Starr’ 2008

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