Release date: 5th July 2024
It’s quite an understatement to say that I’ve been looking forward to hearing Presence, the debut album from Kick The Giant, for literally years after first coming across them in 2015. I’m quite sure they announced in 2018 that they were working on their debut album, so it’s been a long time coming (especially with a hiatus between then and now) – but now that I have finally been lucky enough to hear Presence, I can say with absolute certainty that it has been worth waiting for. Presence is addictive, polished and an all-round fun listen.
I can’t say I’m massively in-touch with the progressive rock genre as a whole any more, but there’s something about Kick The Giant that draws me in regardless. Put simply – their music is magnificent and just highly enjoyable to listen to. There’s an almost triumphant and joyous vibe to Presence, which keeps me wanting to go back and listen to the album over and over.
Presence starts strong with its title track, setting up the album nicely with soaring melodies and powerful vocalisations, and an early highlight for me personally is the third track Out Of Time. The chorus is a serious earworm destined to just get stuck in your head, and there’s so much going on in the song that it needs a few listens to really get it to sink in. I always love going back to songs and spotting different elements on subsequent listens, which is why Out Of Time feels so perfect to me.
Distant Memories is another great inclusion. It’s a slower-paced track that contrasts nicely with the high energy of some of the previous songs, and the emotion in both the vocals and the instrumentation is something to behold. The long instrumental break in the middle of the song divides it up nicely as well, really helping to make the longer track leave an impression on you.
As a whole, Presence is absolutely excellent. An album not to be missed, it ticks all the right boxes and highlights exactly what this talented Finnish band is capable of. Make sure you keep an eye on these!
Kick The Giant: Facebook|Purchase the album here
