There’s something to be said for a band that knows exactly who they are, where they come from and, most importantly, who they are making music for. Kickin Valentina have never been about chasing trends, courting the mainstream or sanding down the rough edges to make themselves more palatable. They play Rock and Roll—loud, dirty, energetic and with the sort of attitude that reminds you why you fell in love with this stuff in the first place. Over the years despite line-up changes they have always delivered and there’s no sign of them stopping now.
This year Kickin Valentina return with a sensational new full-length album, Anthems From The Underground, set for worldwide release on August 28, 2026, via Mighty Music. And if the title sounds like a statement of intent, that’s because it absolutely is.
It also sounds wonderful – recorded in Atlanta and produced and mixed by Pete Newdeck, and mastered by Harry Hess in Toronto, Anthems From The Underground sees Kickin Valentina making one significant change behind the scenes. After working successfully with Andy Reilly on their previous records, the band decided it was time to shake things up, step outside their comfort zone and see where a fresh pair of ears might take them.
As bassist Chris Taylor explains: “On this album we decided to bring in a different producer. We love everything Andy did on our previous albums, but creatively we thought it was time to do something different and have someone push us out of our comfort zone. Every record we want to grow as a band and I think Pete brought out the best of us individually in the studio.”
That willingness to push forward is important because Kickin Valentina aren’t trying to reinvent themselves here. Instead, Anthems From The Underground feels like a band taking everything they’ve learned over the last decade and turning the screws that little bit tighter.
And then there is that title that captures the spirit of tings so wonderfully well. Taylor recalls discussing potential names with vocalist D.K. Revelle while leaving the studio and deciding that rather than shy away from the band’s underground status, they should celebrate it. Anthems From The Underground was born as a tribute not only to bands operating outside the mainstream but, perhaps more importantly, to the fans who continue to seek them out and support them.
It’s a sentiment I can certainly get behind. The underground has always been where Rock and Roll is at its most interesting, and Kickin Valentina have spent more than a decade proving that you don’t need mainstream approval to make music that matters.
So let’s get down amongst it.
Generation Time Bomb opens things right up with a perfect start it’s one of those songs that rides a wonderful groove on an oh so familiar sounding riff but is all I love about Rock and Roll. If you don’t love this then you’ll never understand the music I love. It’s not groundbreaking, it’s not virtuoso it’s good old dirty Rock and Roll and just the music that I love. Part Sunset Strip part bluesy rock and roll with a modern twist, the perfect balance.
Hot on those smoking heels ‘Dance Of Destruction’ let’s you know you are in for a treat (lets face it these guys have never failed to deliver), Namechecking some unwise choices it’s another dirty rock and roller that gets under the skin and the fingernails. Gloriously grimy there’s teh feel of vintage Junkyard and bands of that ilk. In 2026 it sounds great.
Rock ’N’ Roll Casualty adds another layer of dirt and a lighter texture, it’s just as engaging, if a little lighter and takes the edge off without a hint of filler, before Don’t Be Mad sets the melodic heart of the album alight. It’s a song that defies the years and could sit at home in a number of genres but has a beating rock and roll heart here in line with what bands like The New Roses are doing over the pond. I love it, it’s a real highlight and a slight left turn with an infectious refrain that cries out for radio play.
By the time the harder kick of Silver Moon hits you should already be pleased that the guys have kept up their impeccable standards. Silver Moon is a little darker, with a sing along chorus and some well-placed screams that hit the spot.
Dog Fight is strutting all the way back to the Sunset Strip; and Good Time Bad Guys has a real hint of Poison shining through. Both are great songs that will light up the stage live. Overdose On Cloud 9 is maybe even better, taking that same vibe and adding a little more fuel to the fire. It’s one of those songs that connects instantly and gets better with repeated plays. This is turning out into a fine album.
Bulletproof Sound just underlines that promise and adds an explosive intro, some wailing guitars and a spoken word intro that has teh feel of East Coast bands like Circus of Power in their Pomp. Love it!
Final word Just Like A Movie takes us home in style, as close maybe as we get to a ballad, it’s a mid tempo rocker that uses light and shade to drive it home. Another great song in an album that doesn’t have a bad moment. KV you’ve done it again. Can’t wait to hear this out on the road…
Formed back in 2013, Kickin Valentina have done things the old-fashioned way—building an audience one record, one show and one convert at a time. After initially signing with Atlanta independent label Highway 9 Records, the band joined Mighty Music in 2015 and have since put together an impressive body of work that includes Super Atomic, Imaginary Creatures, Revenge of Rock, Star Spangled Fist Fight, Raw Trax, B-Sides and Bootlegs and the Chaos in Copenhagen EP.
Through it all, the essential ingredients have remained the same: big guitars, huge hooks, grit, sweat and a take-it-or-leave-it attitude that feels increasingly precious in an age when so much music appears designed by committee.
With D.K. Revelle on vocals, Heber Pampillon on guitar, Chris Taylor on bass and Jimmy Berdine behind the drums, Anthems From The Underground finds Kickin Valentina embracing exactly what they are—a hard-working Rock and Roll band that belongs to the underground and is damn proud of it.
And maybe that’s the real beauty of the title. These aren’t anthems written in the hope of escaping the underground. They’re anthems celebrating everyone who lives here.
Anthems From The Underground is released August 28, 2026, via Mighty Music on limited purple vinyl LP (500 copies), digipack CD and digital formats. The album is available to pre-order from the webshop