I woke up this morning, watched the new video to Kivanc Kilicer's 'Devil's Thought', and thought I was still asleep and dreaming. Specifically, I felt I was dreaming that I was back in the Eighties. "Ouch", you say, "that's harsh". No, I meant it as a compliment. 'Devil's Thought' (from the EP 'Dew On Roses') is thoroughly Heavy Metal and I don't mean Pop Metal like Bon Jovi or Bubblegum Hair Spray Metal like Twisted Sister and the other Metal acts that spring to mind when the Eighties are mentioned, but the kind of Metal that was poised to become 'The Next Big Thing', right before Grunge blew it out of the water and off the charts.
Remember all the videos in the 80s had fire and/or water?
Bands like Metallica and even Def Leopard that ranged from danceable to head banging, that had a big drum sound, big guitar solos and 'Wall Of Sound' production along with aggressive but still listenable lead vocals and most of all a very dark, almost approaching evil (if I was the religious type) vibe.
Burning down the house, literally.
Back when this type of Metal was at its peak in America 'Devil's Thought' would have been a hit. It's right up along side Dio, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Slayer, Queensryche and the aforementioned Def Leopard and just south of Anthrax, Mega Death and some of the more hard core metal acts. Oddly enough, it's not from America as Kivanc Kilicer is from Turkey (the country not the TV dinner). Once again I'm getting turned on to good old fashion ('80s) American Rock & Roll that's not American or old. This new music is originating in a foreign land yet it seems so familiar (in a good way).
Is this Element or does Kivanc have a live band?
I always thought that if we (America) wanted to conquer another country we didn't have to use weapons, just send in sugar (Coca Cola), Levi's jeans and Rock records. Our parents were right; Rock & Roll is a disease that spreads and once caught changes its victim forever. Rock and Roll fever and the Boogie Woogie flu indeed. Getting back to Kivanc who claims he's Turkish but nothing in his press kit would indicate that he's actually in Turkey. He might be as American as apple pie but was born in Turkey because there's nothing in his sound that sounds remotely exotic, unless English Metal can be considered exotic. He claims his main interest has always been a blend of progressive rock and symphony and I can hear it in his level of musicianship but not in the style of music he's chosen to play which he claims was influenced by his record label. In other words I guess he was told to put out a Metal album. I prefer Prog myself so I would have liked to hear what he would have done if left to his own devices but he certainly did a great job on a very dark Metal record.
According to his press kit he started as the frontman of the band Element in 2007 but it doesn't say if that was in Turkey or elsewhere. If he fronted a Heavy Metal band in Turkey he's got some balls. He recorded two studio albums with the band but in 2010 he built himself a home recording studio (again, in Turkey or in the San Fernando Valley? I don't know) and recorded his solo project titled 'Gravity'. Although he claims all the production duties for himself he doesn't list any other musicians so I have to assume there is no live band around to go out and play this stuff. That's a pity.
A lot of the backing tracks on 'Devil's Thought' brings to mind Evanescence (a fav of mine) and the pulsating bass line reminds me of 'Smooth Criminal' but you can hear the song on the video and make up your own mind. What I'm saying is that this record isn't anything really new, but as Retro goes, it should satisfy and is yet another example of the triumphant return of the heavy lead guitar solo. Yea!
You can check out 'Dew On Roses', 'Devil's Thought' and Element on his website HERE.
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