Review Summary: Explositive proves that Kontrust don’t need a single hit to explode — the whole album is the impact.
When Explositive was released in 2014, musically speaking, Kontrust was no longer just an eccentric curiosity from Austria. Time to Tango had put the band on the map thanks to “Bomba,” and Second Hand Wonderland confirmed that it hadn’t been a fluke: there was identity, ambition, and a very distinct artistic vision. The challenge now was different — to prove that Kontrust didn’t rely on a single viral hit or an isolated gimmick.
Musically, the metal remains danceable and the humor is still present, but there’s a clear sense of a band better understanding what works on stage and shaping its songs for a head-on impact with the audience. It’s an album that radiates physical energy — the kind that demands movement, sweat, and collective response.
This becomes evident right away with “Dance,” perhaps the track that best represents the spirit of Explositive. It’s impossible not to think of it as a live anthem: an infectious groove with a heavily distorted bass line in the verses, a simple chorus, and an absolutely hilarious official video that proudly embraces the band’s deliberately cheesy side. Kontrust understands something many metal bands still struggle to accept: laughing at yourself doesn’t reduce the heaviness — it often amplifies it. “You've got to dance!!”
“Why” is another major highlight and shows how well the band can work with nuance inside chaos. The bass line is addictive, practically driving the song from start to finish, while the percussion adds a lightly tribal beat that gives texture without overdoing it. Over all of this, Agata Jarosz’s nasal vocal delivery leads the track with absolute charisma, balancing weirdness, melody, and accessibility in a way that only Kontrust can make feel natural.
“Bulldozer,” on the other hand, goes for brute force: a big, direct, heavy riff, once again supported by a bass line that hits hard without apologizing. It reinforces the album’s more metallic side, reminding us that beneath all the party atmosphere there’s still a band with solid riffs and a sharp sense of groove.
The production supports this approach well. Everything sounds clean, powerful, and organized enough that excess never turns into clutter. Each element has its space, and the album maintains a consistent pace from start to finish — essential for a record so focused on impact. A special mention goes to the bass, which is clearly audible and acts as the backbone of many of the album’s songs.
Perhaps the album’s biggest “flaw” is precisely the absence of a new “Bomba” or a new “Hey DJ” — that bridge song capable of completely breaking out of the bubble and becoming a definitive calling card. There isn’t a single track that carries the entire album on its shoulders or stands as an unquestionable anthem. But this is far from a serious problem. On the contrary, Explositive stands strong through the power of the whole, its consistency, and the excellence of a robust, well-executed, personality-filled work.
Unfortunately, after the release of Explositive, the band would only put out a new album a long nine years later, along with several lineup changes. But that’s a story for another review.
Verdict
Explositive is Kontrust in affirmation mode. An album that knows exactly where it stands and how to turn chaos, humor, and groove into high-quality metal. It may not have the perfect “spearhead” — but it has an entire arsenal firing on all cylinders.
Highlights:
- Dance
- Why
- Just Propaganda
- Bulldozer
