KISS — Monster (review)

Album · 2012 · Hard Rock

4/5 · 2013-06-07
Kev Rowland

Back in 1978 I was 15 years old, and looking to expand my musical knowledge so when a mate of mine gave me a cassette with the words ‘Double Platinum’ written on the case I took it home and gave it a fair listen. That night I became a Kiss fan, I knew nothing about them and hadn’t even seen a picture of them but wanted more. It was a bit of a surprise when I saw what they looked like, but I was soon a paid up member of the UK Kiss Army, and had the logo emblazoned on the back of my denim jacket. I finally got to see them at Stafford with the Simmons/Stanley/Cusano/Carr line-up (musically the best in my opinion, although not the most fun as it was a stripped down show with no make-up or effects). After a while I moved on, and didn’t search out the band as much as I had previously, as ‘Animalize’ was a disappointment for me (although not nearly as much as ‘Dynasty’ or ‘Unmasked’ to be fair), and I couldn’t see them ever doing anything worthwhile again, although I was hopeful. But, then the originals got back together and I caught them on the reunion tour in ’96 and once again I toyed with their music but while it was okay, it wasn’t great. What has happened to the band I had once loved so much? When I saw the reviews for ‘Sonic Boom’ I was amazed, so sought it out and while it was okay, it wasn’t brilliant. Many critics were saying that it was the best thing for years, but when the albums being compared against are ‘Hot In The Shade’ et al is it really that hard?

So when ‘Monster’ started being touted as the best thing since sliced bread I was more than a little dubious. True, this line-up has now been together for quite some time (even if it is only their second album together), but how could the new album compare against the old?

So, I put it on and for the next 52 minutes was mesmerised, as this really is the Kiss of old. It has to be the best studio album of theirs since ‘Lick It Up’ in ’83, and it might even be the best since ‘76’s ‘Destroyer’ – and I have every studio album they have released so I’m not saying that lightly. This is Kiss doing what they do best, anthem after anthem with just a little tongue in cheek as first Paul and then Gene take the lead vocals. “Freak” is a nod back to “God Of Thunder” and I found that I was comparing the new songs to the old. This is particularly true of the songs where Tommy and Eric take the leads. “Outta This World” could have come from the spaceman as it tips the hat to “Rocket Ride” while Eric’s “All For The Love of Rock & Roll” has the cat all over it. The penultimate song of the album proper (I have ‘The International Tour Edition’ which has a bonus song, and there is another version that has a live cut of “King of the Night Time World” as well) is “Take Me Down Below” which sounds like a Gene special (although apparently co-written by Paul, Gene and Tommy) but although he sings the first verse, Paul takes the second. I have been racking my brain and can’t think of another instance where this has happened.

If you have never heard a Kiss album then this isn’t the place to start, get the ‘Alive’ albums then ‘Destroyer’, followed by ‘Love Gun’ and ‘Rock and Roll Over’. But, if you have ever worn the make-up or sung along to “Rock n Roll All Nite” then take it from me that these guys are back with a bang. Now, where are my platforms??...