Endeverafter – Kiss Or Kill (2007)

Unvinyl #8

Endeverafter’s debut ‘Kiss Or Kill’ arrived in Europe in 2009 – almost a year and a half after its original US release – at the apex of an unexpected hard rock resurgence. While The Darkness broke into the mainstream, bands from all over the world like Crystal Pistol, Vains Of Jenna, Gemini Five, or Disarm delivered great music that pushed some magazines to speak of a possible “new sleaze revival”. From Sacramento, Endeverafter seemed to fit that mold perfectly, with catchy songs like ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ and ‘Baby Baby Baby’ sounding like a high-energy update of Mötley Crüe. However, there was a broader picture beneath the surface, and that’s what made me instantly fall in love with their album.

Produced by Stacy Jones (musician with Letters To Cleo and American Hi-Fi), ‘Kiss Or Kill’ moved quite freely across the hard rock spectrum. There is a power ballad, a very good one at that (‘Next Best Thing’), but also a bright melodic side that recalls Danger Danger circa ‘4 The Hard Way’ (‘Gotta Get Out’), sprinkles of modern rock bordering emo (‘From The Ashes Of Sin’), and even a sweet acoustic number (‘Long Way Home’). At the other end, you can hear a heavier edge built on tight and technically proficient instrumental work, sort of a more accessible take on Racer X (‘Poison’). One might argue that none of the above is particularly groundbreaking but, at the same time, none of the other bands in this niche offered this kind of variety. This made Endeverafter unique in a way, and their songwriting craft was so well honed that the whole thing worked seamlessly rather than feeling like a rough patchwork. Whatever approach they adopted, all of the songs were fresh, hook-driven, and hit you straight away.

Indeed, ‘Kiss Or Kill’ might bat on multiple sides, but it never felt calculated. If anything, the band had personality. When I spoke with singer and guitarist Michael Grant back then, he was quick to agree: “Endeverafter is like a diamond. There are many different facets. We’re not interested in pinning ourselves to one particular style”. And while a title like ‘Kiss Or Kill’ seemed to refer to a “no compromise” attitude, its music, with so many different elements, embraced a far less rigid philosophy: “To a certain extent there have to be compromises – Grant admitted – but not to the point of ruining the integrity of an artist. You have to draw the line somewhere, otherwise you’ll be nothing but puppets, and we’re far from that”.

Ironically, the song that brought them the most visibility at the time, ‘No More Words’ — used as the entrance theme for WWE wrestler Jeff Hardy — was possibly one of their most different. A darker, almost post-grunge track compared to their album, it gave them exposure, but could have easily skewed expectations: “It doesn’t bother me”, the guitarist candidly admitted. “We’re quite proud of how it came out”. And it turned out great indeed.

The band was navigating a rather unusual situation at that time. Their major deal with Sony had fallen through before the album even saw the light of day, forcing them to roll up their sleeves and look for new opportunities. ‘Kiss Or Kill’ was eventually released by Razor & Tie, yet there was no trace of bitterness in Michael’s words: “I wouldn’t change a thing. I believe everything happens as it should and for good reason. No regrets and no looking back — just trudging along forward. The nature of the business is acceptance and rejection. You just have to roll with the punches”.

What really mattered to them, more than anything else, was the live dimension. “We’re definitely a live rock’n’roll band,” Grant said. “We’re at our best on stage. The live show is everything to us. After all, it sucks to fall in love with a band based on their record, then see them live and find out how horrible they are. It’s like discovering Santa Claus doesn’t exist”.

Unfortunately, I never managed to see them live because the band broke up not long after and ‘Kiss Or Kill’ remained their only album. Luckily, Grant didn’t disappear. He later resurfaced with L.A. Guns, contributing to the surprisingly strong ‘The Missing Peace’ (2017), and went on to release his own material with Michael Grant & The Assassins.

I don’t know the reasons behind the band’s demise. Perhaps most fans of the genre prefer something that doesn’t really take them out of their comfort zone. However, if you’re keen on a hard rock band that is not afraid to branch out a bit, revisiting Endeverafter is definitely recommended.

CHANCES OF VINYLIZATION: Nothing is pointing in that direction at the moment. Cd copies are easy to find and not particularly expensive.

🟥 Unvinyl is a series of articles about great music not available on vinyl (at the time of writing). A full index can be found here.