In January 2021, Warrington based singer Kim Jennett went viral after appearing on “The Voice” performing a heavy metal version of REM’s “Losing My Relingion” in front of Tom Jones, Olly Murs, Will.i.am and Anne-Marie. She wasn’t chosen but her singing abilities received universal acclaim. Now, three years later, she is back with her new single and damn it, this is a track that sends shivers down the spine. If you haven’t heard about her yet, you are really living under the rock. “Hell Is Wherever You Are” is an absolutely brilliant piece of classic heavy metal/hard rock that will please both old timers and brand new fans.
Kim photographed by Adam Kennedy
Official bio: Tiny but mighty, Kim Jennett is about to set the music world on fire with her explosive new single, “Hell Is Wherever You Are.” This isn’t just another song—it’s a battle cry from an emerging artist who’s ready to take the world by storm. After years of lending her powerhouse vocals to others, Kim has emerged from the shadows, stronger than ever. Her electrifying performance at Download Festival and captivating audiences on The Voice was just the beginning. Now, with a story to tell and a fire in her soul, Kim is writing her own music – blending the raw edge of Skunk Anansie with the irresistible hooks of early Avril Lavigne, creating a sound that’s unapologetically her own.
Kim Jennett has been called the queen of hard rock music, pocket rocket (due to her powerful voice and a tiny frame) and English Lzzy Hale. Whatever name people are going to call her, one thing is certain, Kim is a singer like no other. Seriously, she possesses one of the most powerful voices in British music today.
When people speak about female vocalists in metal music, they usually mean a lyrical soprano in a symphonic metal band aka Nightwish (Tarja), Leave’s Eyes (Liv Kristine) or Whitin Temptation (Sharon del Adel). This is hugely misleading and very simplistic as women can be successful in every genre of metal: from death metal Arch Enemy (Angela Gossow, Alissa White-Gluz) to noise and hardcore (Karyn Crisis), rapcore (Terrie B from Tura Satana) to heavy metal as proven by Jinger (Tatiana Shmayluk), SpiritBox (Courtney LaPlante) or Harper who growled out her way to the big festivals after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent. Let’s not forget the queens of 80’s heavy rock: Lita Ford, Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart), Leather Leone (Rude Girl, Chastain) or Doro Pesch.
Kim Jennett is a heavy metal/hard rock singer, with absolutely brilliant middle range and a wild, yet warm timbre. It’s always hard to correctly guess what range the singer has from a bunch of YouTube videos but I’d place her at either being contralto or mezzo soprano. This girl can sing, shout, scream and howl and you will love every second of it. She’s incredibly skilled at what she does, believe me (I’m a former choir singer), she is very technical and executes every note with fantastic accuracy and precision. We rarely get to review somebody that bloody good, so I’m going to enjoy highlighting her abilities. Kim deserves every praise under the sun – she can hit high notes and go down pretty low, she easily adjusts the tone of her voice to sound hoarse and rough and then turns silky smooth. That takes a lot of control, flexibility and hard work to be able to do this.
“Hell is Wherever You Are” stands at 3 minutes and 20 seconds. It has been described as “delightfully lively” by Metal Planet Music zine, “loaded with grit, passion and venom” by Moshville Times and “explosive” by The Devil’s Gate Music. I can add that it’s addictive, very radio friendly and memorable – the refrain is so easy to remember, you only need to hear this song once to sing along.
Kim as Queen of Hell by Adam Kennedy
I truly regret that it came out this year and not a few years back, as it would have been a great soundtrack to “Lucifer” TV series. Especially if you consider the video to the song where Kim is gambling with the devil who looks just like Tom Ellis from the “Love Handles” episode – devil horns and everything. Tom is a musician himself and a fellow Brit, Kim Jennett on the soundtrack would make a hell lot of sense.
“Hell is Wherever You Are” is truly devilishly good. It has everything I could ask for: great melody, brilliant guitars, heavy drums and a lot of rock and roll swagger that is needed in this kind of music. The crossover between heavy metal and hard rock is a very bombastic style (sorry Shaggy, I’m stealing your lines), larger than life, full of bravado, gloat and lust for life. Look how many people are drawn to Motörhead, Judas Priest or Girlschool, those bands enjoy status of absolute rock legends thanks to their music and scenic image. Kim radiates the same zeal, the same passion and she is a fantastic performer. She is dressing the classic genre to fit the 21st century: with crisp production, vocal fireworks, thundering rhythm and the videography suited for the social media age.
Catch her on her ongoing tour right now where she is supporting another giant of rock, Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche). And I hope the American market is paying attention, cause I have a feeling, Kim Jennett will be successful there as well. With her skills and presence, it’s just a matter of time.
Kim Jennett on social media:
https://www.kimjennett.net/
https://www.facebook.com/kimjennettvocalist
https://www.instagram.com/kimjennettvox/
https://x.com/kimjennettsings
https://www.tiktok.com/@kimjennettvox
https://www.youtube.com/@kimjennett2869
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QQScxXeWT4IyduFvtWfQ8
“Hell Is Wherever You Are” has been out on all streaming services since the 13th of September.
Rita Dabrowicz
Indieterria 