Hi FAM fam, it’s yo boi the Denman here, and I have the privilege of reviewing the debut album from the Pittsburgh based punk band Killin’ Me! Let me start by saying that Pittsburgh has a pretty dang good punk scene and I am always impressed with the different punk bands it has to offer and Killin’ Me is one of those bands for me!
Pittsburgh music scene veteran rocker/punk rocker Rod Wilkins does it again with this latest band! I’m sure some of you remember his old band, Rod Wilkins and the L.O.C. Band. Rod is providing his bass skills & vocals for this band. And he’s decided to team up with Charles Heiser on lead vocals & guitar, and Kyle Rosensteel on drums & vocals. All of them can & do sing and it just makes this band stand out a bit more.
So, I start listening to “No Apologies”, the debut album, which coincidently has officially been release today! “Home” starts with this killer driving bass riff and then Charles screams, ‘Are You Ready to Rock and Roll? C’mon!’ And right from there, you know you are in for a pop punk treat!
This album has quite a few very anthem-like songs on it, such as the title track, “No Apology”, “Shuddup”, and “Put Em Up”! Excellent songwriting skills on display!
Fun fact: “No Apology” was the first song that the band wrote, as a nod to the fact that they make NO Apologies for their music! They create whatever they like, punk or not punk, but it fits under the punk umbrella, because of that attitude!
A couple of months ago Killin’ Me release a video for the song “Searching For Redemption” filmed at Green Beacon Gallery. This is a great song, and a great video! Lyrics are very thoughtful and causes you to evaluate your life and the way things are. I feel some regret in there. You want some change in your life, but you aren’t even sure what it is you’re searching for, but in the end, we all want to feel that redemption. I feel like this song captures all of those feelings.
But, I gotta tell you, for my money, I have a couple of favorites on this album. “Coming Undone” and “Get the Girl” are my 2 favorites on this album! It makes me feel like the first time I heard bands like Blink-82 and Sum-41, it just gives me all the same vibes. You need to check these two songs out and let me know what think.
Fun fact #2: The video for “Coming Undone” is in the works and will drop soon!
All in all, Killin’ Me is a band you need to check out and their debut album, “No Apologies” is a great place to start. If you love pop/pop punk, this is another good band to add to your playlist!
All songs were recorded, mixed, & mastered at “Razorblade Recordings” in West Mifflin, PA.