KIX is a fun Melodic Hard Rock band from Maryland that broke up in the mid 1990's following the downturn of the genre due to Alternative/ Grunge music. Over the past decade four out of the five original members (fleshed out by bassist Mark Schenker) have been playing dates across the United States when they can, proving to the world why they are one of the best bands of this genre when it comes to a live performance. Finally hitting the studio for a batch of new material, this seventh studio album "Rock Your Face Off" contains 12 new show stoppers, proving that the quintet's AC/DC oriented boogie still has vital gas left in the creative tank.

"Wheels in Motion" as the first track wastes no time getting to the high energy riffs and spitfire Steve Whiteman party invitations - the bridge and chorus rolling off his tongue at breakneck speed. The follow up "You're Gone" is a mid-tempo send up, straight out of Bon Scott / AC/DC school, the Forsythe/ Younkins six string duo filling the arrangement with bluesy licks and a killer hook. The ride continues over the next 10 songs - KIX lobbing pitches that fans go to the moon for, be it sexy and sassy on "Dirty Girls", down and dirty on the title track, or acoustic driven balladry on the campy meets early 70's throwback "Inside Outside Inn".

If I were to look at this album in terms of discography, there are a lot of similar qualities to "Midnight Dynamite" - it's just very stripped down, back to basics, and honing in on the roots of blues-based Hard Rock. Experts at their craft, KIX need to not let 19 years elapse between their next set of recordings - for "Rock Your Face Off" lives up to the title and oh so more. Welcome back, gentlemen!