THE KICK METAL HEART ALBUM SSC, PLAYGROUND, ROUGH TRADE RELEASE: JUNE 17, 2009 REVIEW: JUNE 20, 2009

The Kick has been described as a mix between IAMX and Nine Inch Nails. A pretty correct assessment if you ask me, and not a very shabby pedigree either. David Sundqvist from Gothenburg in Sweden makes his debut with "Metal Heart", but the music sounds mature and it seems David knows his way around the studio. He is not exactly a newbie; he has played in several different alternative bands through the years, some of them covered here in Release, like Elasmo and Fireline Angels.

It's a strong debut, with a lot of memorable tracks, and it kicks (heh) off directly with the very NIN-esque "Game" before providing us with the funky electro tinged "Dancer". After this, the album keeps on giving.

I love it when people provide variation not just by programming a new bass line, and here it's done by mixing up the styles a little bit. Not all the songs sound the same, although there's a certain "kick-ness" to them of course. We have the rockier stuff, mixed with electronic pieces. Faster numbers and slower.

As I said, it's a very promising debut, and I warmly recommend it if you like melodic electronic/industrial pop. And who doesn't?

JOHAN CARLSSON