Kittie – Fire – CD Review

Canadian Rockers Kittie are back with their seventh album and first since 2011 with Fire, so can Kittie catch fire with this new release (sorry), or will their flame be extinguished (I’m so sorry, I promise to stop now), let’s find out and give it a listen.

The Review

The title track is the first song on the album, is fairly formulaic in approach, it ticks every box you want from a heavy metal song. Good rhythm section, chunky guitars, a decent solo, and many different vocal styles (quiet, growls, normal, a drone) however, it doesn’t quite do it for me.

What I found interesting is that of the 10 tracks, there is only 1 minute and 1 second between the longest track and the shortest. This feels like there is a formula to the music, but I don’t know if that’s a conscious decision from the band and producer or just a happy accident.

At the opposite end of the album is the final track, Eyes Wide Open, for me, this is one of the highlights of the album. The savagery in Morgan’s vocals works with the riff.

In the past, I’ve made people aware of the problem I have where you have an album of constant growling going on. I can take it for a little while, but an entire album of growling is tough for me to really enjoy. So you can imagine my relief at We Are Shadows, the 5th track with its “normal” vocals and only a small amount of growling. The song goes along at a decent clip and is over before you notice, which is a shame as I really liked the riff.However, as soon as we leave We Are Shadows we are in the realm of Wound, which starts very growly but morphs into a great-sounding tune with soaring vocals and deep, dark heavy music.

Up next is One Foot in the Grave, no not Victor Meldrew (for your non-UK folk it was a sitcom from the 90’s) the tune has a pop feel to it in sections, with growly and normal vocals co-existing. It’s a good tune.

Conclusion

There is something absolutely savage about this new album from Kittie. For me it doesn’t quite work on every track, but there is plenty to enjoy and there are some tracks that are really good. A lot of people would get a lot of enjoyment from this latest offering from Canada but it’s just missing something for me.

Score 7/10

Track Listing

1. Fire 3.29
2. I Still Wear This Crown 3.43
3. Falter 3.58
4. Vultures 3.19
5. We Are Shadows 3.36
6. Wound 2.57
7. One Foot in the Grave 3.42
8. Are You Entertained 3.15
9. Grime 3.37
10. Eyes Wide Open 3.54

Label –  Sumerian Records
Release –  21st June 2024

For all things Kittie, click HERE, and to purchase the album, click HERE