Love n Revenge: Karma (Kivel)

This summer sees the debut of a new melodic rock band on the Kivel Records label. Love n Revenge is a two-man band featuring vocalist/guitarist Damon Kelly (formerly of Rockarma) and guitarist John Lisi. Adriangale’s Vic Rivera is on board as producer, and he also guests on drums, bass and keys.

Summer is the perfect time of year for Love n Revenge’s debut album Karma, because it feels like such a great summer rock record. Had it come out in 1991 it would be the album everyone was rocking as they cruised around with their friends or headed to the beach. It hits right in that feel-good, super-melodic way that Danger Danger and Blue Tears did back in the day. The hooks and melodies check all the boxes, and while Kelly’s vocals seem a bit thin at times, they really do suit these songs well. And when the backing vocals kick in (also by Rivera) it is a real treat.

Karma is most effective on upbeat melodic rockers like “Rest of Time,” “Ready to Go” and “Can’t Save Me This Time.” They’re party rockers without coming out and saying so, unlike, say “Get This Sucker Started” and “Chicks Dig Rock n’ Roll,” where (again, like the old Danger Danger albums) the cheesy lyrics are hard to look past. Love n Revenge’s cover of the Sweeny Todd glam rock hit “Roxy Roller” is really nicely handled though, and definitely adds to Karma’s fun factor.

Overall, Karma is a really solid, really enjoyable melodic rock album, and one that only gets better with repeated spins. Fans of classic sounding melodic rock – Danger Danger, Blue Tears, Def Leppard, Trixter and the like – would do well to check out Love n Revenge. Fans of the latest Jace Pawlak and Tokyo Motor Fist albums in particular ought to love this one.