February 26



Ace Frehley in Daytona: A Hoax!
From: Carol
I don't know who to believe in, but all this info about Ace in Florida was a HOAX! Appearently some loser from Central Florida decided to play a joke on all KISS fans, Ace Frehley's family and radio hosts Russ & Bo (From Orlando's WTKS 104.1 FM) by saying that Ace would play a benefit concert in Daytona Beach this weekend, and also saying that he lost his uncle Sunday during the tornados in the area. I hope Ace's family is OK! Unfortunately, some IDIOT thinks that playing with a human's pain and suffering is a joke or something to make fun of. If you care enough in offering at least a little help to the tornado victims in Central Florida, please make contact with the Red Cross in Central Florida or your local chapter of the Red Cross, and tell them that KISS Fans across the country care enough about this tragic matter. And to the GUY who played Ace on the Radio, I ask him to think for a moment - what would you think about yourself if your uncle or mother would have died in this tragic event?!

Eric Singer Drum Clinic in Muncie Indiana
From: AClark9782@aol.com
This drum clinic turned out to be much more than I thought it would be. I'm not a drummer, as was not a majority of the audience. Far more people showed up than they planned on (estimate 300). Eric was awesome on the drums and very cool when he spoke to the crowd. He played some solo material and then did a KISS medley to prerecorded music. SO COOL! He also did a lengthy Q&A session and stayed until everyone that wanted an autograph, got one. He referred to the KISS convention in INDY on 2-28, saying that he'd be playing with Bruce Kulick, JohnCorabi & Karl Cochrane. I'm still jacked about the reunion, but now have a greater appreciation for Eric & his talents. It will be cool to see what he does in the future.

KISS Web Awards
From: Steve Stierwalt
KISS Web Awards show this Saturday at 3pm EST in the KISS Freaks chatroom. Technology willing, the KISS Web Awards show will be held. So if you can't make it to the Expo, stop by and chat while you wait for the Awards to be announced. See ya there.

UNION #1 in National Sales!
From: The UNION Asylum
Great news everyone! We just talked with Paula at Mayhem and it appears that UNION was #1 in daily sales nationwide the day of its release!
Would You Like To Know More? Click to The UNION Asylum!

Paul Stanley Interview
From: Par Winberg
I just added a brand new interview done with Paul Stanley exclusive on the net for my homepage THE MIDWESTERN SKIES. The interview was done by my friend Jorgen Holmstedt and is also published in the japaneese mag BURRN.
Check it out at my homepage THE MIDWESTERN SKIES

Bruce Kulick Interview
From: Roger Lotring of Prime-Choice.com
Hi folks! Roger from http://www.prime-choice.com here. I just wanted to let you know about a cool interview with Bruce Kulick that's currently online. Conducted in the midst of the New England Kiss Expo last fall, the conversation took place a couple of days before Bruce and his band signed their contract with Mayhem. Bruce offers some recollections of his days with Meat Loaf and Blackjack, as well as his opinions regarding the possibilities of Kiss performing any of his Kiss material, or Union opening a tour for either Kiss or Motley Crue.
Click Here To Read The Bruce Interview

Gordon Gebert Interview
From: Paul Miles
Just thought I'd let you know I have just uploaded an interview with Goron Gebert - author of KISS & Tell - to the VIEWS section of my website "Chronological Crue" http://www.ozemail.com.au/~cruekiss Gordon talks about his Jailhouse Jam as well as a bit about KISS & Tell MORE!


February 25



Gene Comments on Psycho Circus Tour
From: Cheekpinch@aol.com
On the Thunder 105.5 morning show, DJ Ron Diaz was in NYC covering preparations for the Grammys. Several notables stopped by to chat. At one point, Ron was talking with Dan Ackroyd and Gene (Gene was calling in live from Los Angles; Dan was in NYC). I didn't catch all of the conversation amongst Ron, Dan, and Gene, but I did get my tape running in time to hear Ron ask Gene about the new Kiss album. Here's what Gene had to say:
"We're knee-deep in a new record called Psycho Circus which is gonna be the basis of the tour, and it's actually gonna be the first interactive 3-D tour. When you get your tickets, you get your glasses and away you go. So I won't really say too much more about it because the technology is too new for people to get. They won't really understand what I'm talking about but once they see it, they won't believe it."
Ron asked Gene if he had made any additions to the Poloroid collection. Gene said he had. Ron brought up the Monica Lewinsky scandal and asked Dan and Gene, "Did Monica Lewinsky sleep with President Clinton?" Gene's response: "You know, I just want to say on anybody's behalf--not Clinton or anybody--it's really nobody's godd**n business, y'know? The idea that you get elected to a government official--whether it's a president or anything else--and then you get put on trial for having your helmet polished I think is about as ridiculous as it gets."

Peter Criss Makeup On "Simpsons"
From: KISS Asylum
A few weeks ago many people wrote in saying that a character on the Simpsons, Ralph Wiggum, wore KISS makeup (and even said, "meow") in a spoof of the novel "Lord Of The Flies." Well, here is a screen shot of that makeup for those that did not see it! Click on the picture for a larger image

Ace & Peter Solo Reissues!
From: Bob Rodrick / KISS Fact of the Week
Here is some really good news and some INCREDIBLE news in the reissue department! First off, Megaforce Worldwide is reissuing Ace Frehley's "Live + 1," "Second Sighting" and "Trouble Walkin'" albums on CD on March 24.
The INCREDIBLE news is that two weeks later, on April 7, Mercury Records are issuing Peter Criss's two solo albums "Out of Control" and "Let Me Rock You" on CD in America for the very first time. In fact, it's the very first time that "Let Me Rock You" will have an American release. This is terrific news! A great way for Kiss collectors to complete and round out their Kiss CD library!

Paul Stanley On The Radio
From: Paul Jacobs
Paul Stanley called radio station 97.1 KEGL in Dallas this morning. Gene was also supposed to be on, but Paul didn't know where he went. Paul was calling from the studio in California where he said they were working on their new album "Psycho Circus". He said a tour would follow the album. The DJ asked Paul if it was tough getting rid of Bruce and Eric. Paul said he loves Bruce and Eric and that it was awkward having to tell them about the reunion, but that was what the fans demanded. Paul said that he and Bruce are still buddies and that they see each other at least once every couple of weeks. When asked how the band has avoided the problems it had in the late 70's and early 80's, Paul said that he didn't want to sound like a public service announcement, but that drugs do nothing to help the creativity and longevity of a band. He said stay off drugs and keep your ego in check.

Gene & Ace in Game: Quake 2
From: Paul Bowlay
I wanted to share some KISS news if it's not already on your site (I couldn't see it)... Players of the Win95 game "Quake 2" can download and play the game as either Gene Simmons or Ace Frehley. These models and skins can be downloaded from www.planetquake.com on the net. Attached is a shot of the Gene model.
Here are 2 x screenshots of Ace/Gene to this E-Mail as they appear in Quake2. They MIGHT require Quake2 v3.10 or higher to work, I haven't tested them on less. They are available for download PlanetQuake (www.planetquake.com) or my site: http://members.tripod.com/~bowlay/
Gene Quake | Ace Quake

UNION on KNAC
From: CBShepeard
Bruce and John were on KNAC today, great interview with Mike Starr. They played the entire cd from top to bottom andanswered questions from the chat room. Mike said he might try to replay portions of the interview this Saturday.
Would You Like To Know More? Click Over To UNION Asylum!


February 24



Ace in Daytona
From: Mark Evers
I just heard from an extremely reliable source that Ace will be in Daytona Beach this Friday for Bike Week. As many of you know Ace recently purchased a new Harley Davidson so I believe this to be a strong possibility. A friend of mine who works for a central Florida radio station says 104.1 is trying to work out a deal to have Ace play at their Bike Week Kickoff party. Ill keep everyone posted as I get more info.

More on Ace in Daytona
From: John O'Hare
Hi, I live in Orlando and from what I'm hearing on the radio, Ace Frehley's uncle was killed in the storms which passed thru Central Florida on Sunday night. He is supposedly coming down to Orlando on Friday and will be making an appearance either Friday or Saturday in Daytona Beach in order to raise money for storm victims. I think it will be at a place called Dirty Harry's and is also kicking off Bike Week. You can find out more by listening to the Russ & Bo show on WTKS 104.1 fm (also available on audionet). Ace may also be on the radio during their 11:00-3:00pm est timeslot on Friday. I'll pass on more information if I hear anything.

Send Us Your UNION Reviews!
From: The UNION Asylum
Well everyone, the day is finally upon us all! February 24th has finally arrived and we hope you have all gone out and purchased a copy of UNION's debut CD and are relentlessly playing it in your car or home.... or both! We know you are all going to love this CD, and we'd like to give you the opportunity to share your thoughts with all your fellow UNION fans!
We would love for anyone who has purchased a copy of the CD to send us a review of it to put up on our "Reviews" page here at the UNION Asylum! We know you probably think the album is "AWESOME," so to get a little more detailed info from you we would prefer to receive reviews in a track by track format. For a couple of examples of the type format we're looking for just click here!
You have the CD so what are you waiting for? Pop it in, listen, enjoy, then let everyone know how you feel about those 11 songs by sending your track by track review to the UNION Asylum via MzCharisma@aol.com!

Interviews
From: Kyle & Christy Barlow
The fans here in the Cincinnati area have gotton a dose of KISS the last two days form WEBN, the local radio station. First they had Gordon G.G. Gerbert one of the authors of KISS & TELL on & interviewed him. If your looking for some really crazy stories about KISS, this is the book to get. Some are unbelievable!! Today they interviewed Gene Simmons. A couple DJ's are in New York & they had Gene on with the band Matchbox 20. He basicly told them to don't listen to anybody (advice), do what your heart tells you to do. A really cool interview.

KISS Kollector Fanclub News
From: Joop / KISS Kollector Online
On March 8 the European KISS Army/KISS Kollector Fanclub (based in Holland) will have a stand at Germany's first Mega Record/CD Fair at Messe Frankfurt. The Fanclub will bring lots of merchandise including full sets of the Ultra-Action Figures, the 4 KISS ties, the "KISS My Ass!" boxershorts, a brandnew photospecial from the reunion tour, fanmagazines, etc. etc. So come visit us at:
DEUTSCHLAND'S ERSTE
MEGA PLATTEN/CD BOERSE
mit Science-fiction/Kino & Horror Abteilung
SONNTAG
8.MAERZ
Messe Frankfurt
11 - 18 Uhr
On April 4 & 5 we will also be at Holland's annual Mega Record/CD Fair at De Jaarbeurs in Utrecht with all the usual stuff. Meanwhile check out the first KISS Kollector Online contest at: http://www.kissasylum.com/kisskollector/

KISS European Expos
From: Florian Hedwig / KISS Asylum News Germany
Special guest: Eric Singer
The KISS Expo is a meeting from KISS fans for KISS fans. Fans and dealers from all over the world will meet at the KISS Expo. A Special Guest will also be there: Ex-Drummer Eric Singer, who plays on KISS' most recent release "Carnival of Souls." What exactly is going to happen at the Expo? Eric Singer will tell you the true story what exactlyhappened ... did he leave the band or was he thrown out to make place for Peter Criss to make the KISS Reunion happen, or is there a possibility that he will jejoin the band again? Find out the answers to these and other questions at a question & answer-session, where you can ask him also your personal question always wanted to know the answer for. Eric will also do a sign-session and pose for photos with everybody, which you can get signed within' one minute. Of course KISS music will be played all day long and exclusive videos will be shown. A KISS collectible market will be held there as well. Almost all items from the KISS fan shop will be available there as well as a lot of merchandise which is not available by mail including old merchandise from the seventies. The KISS Action-Figures will of course also be available at a special price. Be surprised! Further more a KISS Look Alike Contest will be held. The winners will get a set of the KISS Action Figures or other prices at Giveaways. So get your KISS make-up kit and paint your faces, it may be worth it! The Expos are a great chance to get to know other KISS fans in your neighbourhood. At some Expos a Cover band will be performing also, where Eric Singer will sit on the drums for a couple of songs. A drum clinic with Eric Singer might also take place at some shows. There is a lot going on at the KISS Expo. See you there!
To recieve tickets send the money to:
KISS Expos
P.O. Box 62
A-1217 Vienna
Austria
info-line: tel.: +49/1/25 94 997
For More Detailed EXPO Information, check the KISS Asylum EXPO/Convention Tour Dates Page.


February 23



KISS Asylum Takes Over Bruce Kulick's Virtual Studio
From: KISS/UNION Asylum
The KISS Asylum is proud to announce that, with the full blessings of Bruce Kulick and NextLevel, we are taking over maintenance of Bruce's Official website, Bruce Kulick's Virtual Studio! Bruce and NextLevel thought since our team was already doing the Official UNION Fan Webpage, The UNION Asylum, that we'd be in the best position to look after Bruce's site on a regular basis.
The page's URL will remain the same (http://nextlevel.com/brucekulick), we are just taking over the page's upkeep. Right now we are in a transitional process and are in contact with Bruce to see what changes and additions he'd like made to the page, so keep an eye out in the coming weeks for some great new things at the Virtual Studio!

Diamonds In The Rough
From: KISS Asylum
The KISS Asylum is proud to welcome "Black Diamond 1 & 2" author Dale Sherman to our pages for your reading pleasure! "Diamonds in the Rough" will be an ongoing feature here at the KISS Asylum in which Dale will discuss a variety of KISS related topics: tour/show thoughts and reviews, the upcoming studio album, matters of historical interest or significance for the band - anything is fair game! But what are we talking for? Dale's the author, so read on and discover your first "Diamond in the Rough!"

KISS Comics Online
From: KISS Asylum
KISS Comics Online is a brand new feature added to KISS Asylum which we think you will enjoy! Mike/Kittycriss (Niteowls World of KISS) and Bill Hollweg have come together to work on this very cool original KISS comic here at KISS Asylum. Each month we will present to you a couple of frames for your enjoyment. Just follow along with the story and have fun! Click to KISS Comics Online!

KISS Asylum Poll
From: KISS Asylum
This is your last week to vote in our KISS Asylum Poll for February. We will have a new question up next week. This months question is "Do you think KISS is doing enough (other than non-music related merchandising) to keep their name in the public's eye during this time between the end of the Reunion Tour and the release of "Psycho Circus?"
Click Here To Vote!

KISS Your Face
From: Kittycriss / KISS Comics Online
How would you like a Picture of yourself made up to look like your favorite KISS member? Maybe a Picture of your favorite celebrity dressed up as a KISS member? Or, How about your Husband,Wife,Child,Grandmother,Boss or who-ever in KISS face-paint? If so, Check out KISS YOUR FACE at http://members.aol.com/Mjscorpio/face.html to find out how.

UNION Release Party!
From: UNION Asylum
Tonite, February 23 at 10pm EST On-line record release party in the AOL Night Club. There will be four rooms going at the same time with a member of UNION in each. Not only that but 50 prizes will be given away during this chat!
UNION Asylum will be there as we will be the voice for UNION drummer "Brent Fitz"! We will be there under AOL screen name "KISSasylum."

KISS Psycho Circus Action Figures
From: Chris Cook
Below are pictures of ALL four KISS Psycho Circus Action Figures.
Ace Gene Paul Peter
For More Info, Check The KISS Psycho Circus Action Figures page.

Mars Music Lets You "Ask Eddie Kramer"
From: Gleep01@aol.com
I was surfing around a few places on the web looking for a certain bass guitar and when I stopped into Mars Music & Records Superstore guess what I found? Apparently they have an ongoing Q&A with longtime KISS producer Eddie Kramer!! Of course Eddie has produced a lot of other very well known bands, but I thought this was of particular interest to all us KISS fans!! Here's the way Mars describes the Q&A: "'Ask Eddie Kramer' is a feature in which Recording Legend Eddie Kramer answers our Web site visitors' questions regarding production, engineering, the record business in general, and other music industry and recording issues." Cool huh? So far I didn't see where he'd been asked or answered any KISS related questions so I guess the floor's wide open! The direct URL to the "Ask Eddie Kramer" page is: http://www.marsmusic.com/askeddie.htm

Indy KISS Expo
From: KISS Asylum
Don't forget about the Indy KISS Expo coming up this Saturday (2/28/98)! The special guests include Bruce Kulick, John Corabi, Eric Singer, Andre Augustine and more! The winners of the KISS Web Site Awards will also be announced! It should be a very cool event so try to get there if you can. For more info on the event as well as other KISS Expos, click over to the KISS Expo/Convention Tour Dates page
Also, the night before there will be a KISS Tribute band playing, KISS'D. To get tickets for this get in contact with Steve Stierwalt of KISSFreaks.com

Black Diamond T-Shirts
From: Dale Sherman and Steve Stierwalt
With the continuing success of BLACK DIAMOND and BLACK DIAMOND 2, I have been asked numerous times if posters of the two covers will ever be released. While posters have not been possible for several reasons, I am happy to announce that we now have t-shirts available.
With the help of Steve Stierwalt, Jr. of KISS FREAKS, we are able to offer these limited-edition, high-quality t-shirts of the book covers. The t-shirts come in Large and X-Large and are $15 (including shipping and handling).
We will be premiering these shirts at the KISS'D concert in Indianapolis on February 27, and they will also be available at the KISS FREAKS table during the KISS Expo on February 28 in Indy. Cover-girl, Haley, will be with me to sign copies of the books and t-shirts at the convention, so hope to see you there!
See KISS FREAKS for more details on how to order the shirts!

KISS Tie Sighting
From Greg Davies
Recently here in Australia a Constitutional Convention was held for 2 weeks where politicians debated whether Australia should become a republic or not. Apparantly, one of the politicians turned up wearing a KISS TIE one day.

Eric Singer Drum Clinic
From: Bob Clark
My name is Bob Clark from Muncie, Indiana. I just wanted to inform you that Eric Singer will be doing a drum clinic sponsered by Pearl Drums. The clinic will be @ 7p.m. on 2-26. It will be at the Muncie Music Center which is located at 207 W. Jackson St. in Muncie.

Gene Simmons Punisher Bass Rig from Ampeg
From: Steve Corral
The Gene Simmons Punisher Bass Rig from Ampeg is reviewed in the new Guitar World. It consists of a 350-watt head with three bands of EQ, ultra mid tone circuit, defeatable optocoupler limiter, nine-band graphic EQ, effects loop and XLR line-out, and a cabinet with two 15-inch JBL speakers. List price: $3,100.
AMPEG, 1400 Fergusen Ave., St. Louis, MO 63133; (314)727-4512; fax: (314)727-8929
www.ampeg.com


February 21



European KISS Expo Tour Dates
From: The KISS Asylum
In May there will be 15 KISS Expos in Europe. Special guest is Eric Singer
  • Eric Singer Question & Answer session
  • Eric Singer Autograph session
  • Eric Singer Picture Taking session
  • Eric Singer Drumming Clinic (Tentative)
  • KISS Dealers from all over the world selling all kinds of KISS Merchandise
  • KISS Music all day long
  • KISS Videos from the beginning till now
    Click Here and then scroll down the page to see the full European Expo Tour Dates from the Expo/Convention Tour Dates page.

    KISS Freaks Special Delivery #7
    From: Steve Stierwalt
    ISSUE 7 Highlights:

  • Interview with Chris Lendt writer of KISS & Sell The Making of the Supergroup
  • KISS Web Award Winners
  • Around Again Union News Update Premieres!
  • Music Life Gallery
  • Review of Loaded Deck by Julian Gill
  • Roch Vaillancourt's special cover design of Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick in their own original makeup!
  • More News than a KISS fan really needs
    If you are interested in this purchasing this issue send $3 to:
    Steve Stierwalt, Jr.
    Attn: Special Delivery
    5246 Padre Lane
    Indianapolis, IN 46237
    When ordering individual issues please specify issue number. For information on subscribing go to: http://www.kissfreaks.com/special.htm


    February 20



    KISS Gives Ace Frehley the Silent Treatment
    From: STEVIEMYER@aol.com
    This appears in the April 1998 edition of Guitar for the Practicing Musician
    "KISS Gives Ace Frehley the Silent Treatment"
    While the original members of Kiss are safely ensconced in a recording studio, where they're documenting their first collaboration in nearly 20 years, one member of the group isn't saying much about his past solo work. Ace Frehley is reportedly under strict orders by the other band members to keep quiet about Loaded Deck, a newly released 12-song retrospective of the guitarist's late '80s and early '90s solo work. The album, issued by Megaforce Worldwide, includes two rare tracks unearthed from the vaults, as well as several live tunes. According to a Frehley spokesperson, Ace is prohibited from discussing any non-Kiss related activities with the media. Guess this is one album that's strictly off the record. -Greg Pedersen

    KISS Expos in Europe!
    From: Florian Hedwig / KISS Asylum News Germany
    In May there will be 15 KISS Expos in Europe. Special guest is Eric Singer - question and answer session, will take photos and sign autographs. Here are some dates, more follows later:
    3 May Vienna (Austria)
    5 May Berlin (Germany)
    21 May Hanau (Germany)
    23 May Amsterdam (Holland)
    24 May Duesseldorf (Germany)
    27 May Ludwigsburg (Germany)
    1 June Bern (Swiss)
    There are more dates in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe TBA. In the end of March there will be a "KISS Strike Alive/Worldwide photo special" from Gerhard Wimmer with all info about these Expos. On some events there will be the KISS Cover band "KISS This"! Tickets are 30,- DM.
    For more infos contact:
    KISS Army International
    Postfach 62
    A-1217 Wien
    Phone: +43/1/25 94 997


    February 19



    1998 NAMM Pictures
    From: Sven Isaksson
    Some pictures Sven took at the NAMM show.
    All pictures are (C) 1998 Sven Isaksson
    Gene | Gene2 | Gene3 | Ace | Eric

    The KISS KOLLECTOR FANCLUB celebrates
    The 1st Anniversary of its Online version:
    THE KISS KOLLECTOR WEB SITE
    From: Joop
    Check out our contest at: www.kissasylum.com/kisskollector/
    See the banner there and click on the link to go to the Contest page!
    Prizes include:
    * Action Figures of Paul, Gene, Ace & Peter
    * Ace Frehley/Gibson posters imprinted with Ace's autograph
    * free subscriptions to the KISS Kollector Magazine

    KISS Sighting
    From: Steve Mascord
    This week in WHO? magazine, the Australian equivalent of People, there is a short article under the headline The Kiss of Life. It's accompanied by a pic from the 1996 Grammys of the band in full makeup and says:
    "Kiss donned their famous face paint for a hugely successful tour in 1996-'97, but they haven't recorded together for 18 years. Now, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are hard at work on a new record, Psycho Circus. "It's going to be very much a classic album," says Stanley, who has no doubts the band can recapture their hotter-than-hell status. "We are Kiss and we're back," he says. "Join us ... or go down."

    UNION Rocks Billboard
    From: Dovteta of Mayhem Records
    Just got back from the guys performance at Billboard Magazine. About 40 employees squeezed themselves into their conference room, with beer and pizza, and proceeded to get their asses rocked by Bruce and John.
    Click To The UNION Asylum For More Info

    Hope Dims For Finding Missing Mother Alive
    [By Joanne M. Pelton of the New Haven Register]
    It's been almost two months since a 43-year-old Shelton mother disappeared in Hartford. "Chances that she is alive are not too good," Shelton Lt. Joel Hurliman said Wednesday. "She would have contacted somebody by now and would have come back for her twin daughters." Hartford police said Wednesday they are still following leads in the case of Annemarie Cusano, who left her Park Street home Jan. 2 and has not been heard from since.
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here!

    Gene & Paul at Rolling Stones Concert
    From: Charlie Reussner
    REUTERS: Entertainment Headlines: Rolling Stones Wrap Up U.S. Tour In Vegas
    With seemingly half of Hollywood in attendance, the Rolling Stones wrapped up the North American leg of their world tour by playing a tiny club for 1,400 fans in Las Vegas Sunday. Accordingly, the crowd was dotted with stars: actors included Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Eddie Murphy. Among the rockers were Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, Sting, and members of Metallica.

    UNION Radio Promo Tour Dates
    From: Dovteta
    Although half the week is already past, for those who were interested, here is a general itenary of how UNION's second week went:
    Click To The UNION Asylum For The Tour Dates

    KISS Coins News
    From: Patrick Kendall
    Libery Mint (the company that produced the KISS coins) informed me that the Gold Select set of coins, which is limited to 1,000 sets worldwide is very close to being sold out. This will be one of the first limited edition sets of coins that have sold out! It is very cool to know that KISS fans have been so responsive to the coins! Hurry up and order, as they are nearly gone. You can view the KISS Coins Here!
    Patrick Kendall is also a very accomplished KISS Airbrush T-shirt artist. Click over to the KISS Fan Graphics/Art page to check out his cool art!


    February 16



    It Never Goes Away: The COS Controversy
    From: Elizabeth Sneed
    There's no question "Carnival of Souls" is destined to become one of the most controversial albums in KISStory, perhaps even surpassing " (Music From) The Elder" for the dubious distinction as the most controversial album ever produced by the band. The complaint about this album that seems to surface most often is that it is somehow a "sell out" on the part of the band, a formula, "paint-by-numbers" album designed to capitalize on the "grunge" sound that was prevalent during the time most of "COS" was written and recorded. I disagree with this criticism and would like to discuss why it is that I do so. However, this article is not an attempt to change anyone's opinion, merely an expression of my own.
    Click here to read the entire feature!

    Chris Lendt Interview
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Recently KISS Hell Online did an interview with Chris Lendt, author of "KISS & Sell." Chris had a lot of very interesting things to say in this very comprehensive interivew! Click here to read the interview!

    KISS Army Online: Fan Focus
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Check out the KISS Army Online: Fan Focus where we concentrate on you, the KISS fan! Right now we are taking pictures of you in KISS makeup for our "KISS Army Warpaint" section and pictures of your KISS Tattoos for our "KISS My Tattoo" section. Brand new selections up now!
    Click here for more information and to see how you can get involved!

    KISS Sighting
    From: Andy Samford
    Tonight on The Simpsons the kids were all stranded on a desert island and at one point were putting on warpaint. One of the kids put on Peter Criss makeup and said "meow."It was pretty funny

    State Of The UNION:
    An Ongoing Report From Bruce & John
    From: The UNION Asylum
    Bruce and John have been discussing the new UNION album and doing a track by track analysis in periodic installments. And as if that wasn't enough, they have also been answering fan submitted questions with each installment! This week they discuss "Let It Flow" and answer some more of YOUR questions!
    Click here to read their brand NEW installment!

    View "Psycho Circus" Figures
    From: Peter Arquette
    Peter Arquette was at the recent Toy Fair in NYC and was able to pick up a booklet that contained pictures of the new KISS "Psycho Circus" action figures. You can view the scans from this booklet that he sent in to Otaku by clicking here.


    February 13



    KISS Cards Series Two!
    From: BCR018@aol.com
    I talked to Cornerstone today. They hope to release Series 2 in late May or June. Then, they are wanting to get Series 3 ready for Psycho Circus in October.


    February 12



    Psycho Circus Action Figure Descriptions
    From: Chris Cook
    I just got back from Mcfarlane Toys' show room in New York and they had on display the new Psycho Circus action figures ....all I can say is they are awesome. They look very cool, and very scary. I own a tiny little hole in the wall collectors' store with my parents so I went down to New York today to check out the new stuff at the toy fair.
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here

    Psycho Circus Track Info
    From: KISSJawa@aol.com
    I have a friend who works at Mercury and you may remember I reported on some possible track titles for the new KISS album awhile back. Well I recently heard some new info and thought I'd pass it along. Seems things are firming up a bit in the song department, though still nothing is final as of yet. In adddition to the song "You Make It Hard (For Me)" that Ace wrote with Sebastian Bach, seems two more of Ace's songs are looking like serious possible contenders: "Picture Without A Frame" (which my friend has also heard called "Sharp Shooter") and "Life and Liberty." My friend wasn't clear whether these last two are "new" songs, or merely title changes on those of "Crave" and "Amazon Train," which have been mentioned previously.
    [For More Info, check "Psycho Circus" Album News Page in News Extra]

    Notes On New KISS Asylum Logo
    From: John White / KISS Asylum
    I have recieved numerous emails regarding the new logo, specifically, how we created it. Well, I simply created a text object in Infini-D for Macintosh, a 3-D modeling, rendering, and animation package. I extruded the text of a cool font I have and created a surface by adjusting its glow, intensity, specular highlight, diffuse shading and such. I then applied that surface and placed a few different kinds of lights around the object for different shading effects. I rendered it in my PowerCenter Pro 180 Macintosh clone in about 10-15 minutes. That's it!

    KISS Cards Info from Cornerstone
    From: Cornerstone Communications, Inc.
    Dear KISS trading card collector:
    Recently we have been flooded by email inquiries for "free" KISS promotional cards. While Cornerstone does offer a free catalog, if you wish the 3 promotional cards you must send a legal-sized, self-addressed envelope plus US $3.00 to cover our shipping and handling costs to:
    Cornerstone Communications
    P. O. Box 18306
    Tucson, AZ 85731
    You may order by credit card by calling:
    (520) 722-1304 (M-F 9am-5pm Mountain Standard Time)


    February 11



    Hollywood Grill Chat Transcript!
    From: The UNION Asylum
    Thanks to our friends at RealHollywood.com we have the chat transcript for UNION's latest Interview. You can also hear it via Real Audio if you have a Real Audio player. Click Here to read/hear the chat!

    New / "Lost" KISS Promo Cards
    From: Strom78@aol.com
    In the last few days, I noticed on an auction web site the existence of a 10th promotional card for the '97 KISS card set (P10) and two new promotional cards for the upcoming second KISS card set (P1 and P2). I thought I had all the cards already (9 card promotional set, preview set, 90 card set, 6 chase cards), so I called Cornerstone to ask about these new cards I had seen. I was told that the P10 card was going to used as a promotion with Sam Goody stores, but didn't happen because they didn't get it done in time. However, the P10 cards were printed up.
    The good news is that it is available from Cornerstone for free. Same goes for the two new promo cards for the '98 set. I was told they have just been giving these 3 cards out along with catalog requests. Just e-mail them your snail mail address (cornercard@aol.com) to get these 3 cards. I checked first to make sure it was okay that I gave out this info on the internet.
    They ran out of promo cards the last time around, so I don't know how long they will have these cards available. Most importantly--don't waste money buying these 3 cards since they are available from Cornerstone for free.

    KISS Hell #28 Out Now!
    From: Joe D. / KISS Hell Online
    KISS HELL #28 OUT NOW! - PETER CRISS COLOR COVER - 48 pages of the most eXclusive KISS info. anywhere. High gloss cover & centerfold, an eyegasm of unseen photos. This issue includes: a Paul Stanley interview/autographed message, a Peter Criss Phone interview, Gene Simmons Q&A, huge photo filled Gilby/Eric Singer concert review, UNION news, 12 page update with ALL the latest KISS news & photos of merchandise, KISS live, ads, etc.., LOADED DECK Review & Contest, Chapter 1 of the NEW KISS HELL comic (in full color) featuring all 9 members of KISS with makeup characters (as the story evolves) This comic will be seen nowhere else & was done by our artist Larry Blake. Also COS review, Expo reviews& much more. $6 an issue. $20 for yearly subscriptions to KISS HELL (4 issues). Payable to Joe Degraffenreid. KISS HELL, 503 Willis, Noble, OK, 73068.


    February 9



    New KISS Asylum Logo!
    From: The KISS Asylum
    We know it may be a shock to see a new KISS Asylum logo on the front page, after all we have used the old logo for over 3/4's of The KISS Asylum's life on the web. First, let us say that KISS did not make us take the old logo down. We did this on our own.
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here!

    New Ace Song
    From: Wasp94@aol.com
    Just saw Sebastian Bach again last night in Clinton, Iowa and he told me he got a call from Ace Friday afternoon confirming that a song Bach wrote with Ace will be included on the next KISS release. The title is "You Make It Hard (For Me)" and was a result of Bach and Ace getting together a few weeks ago to write.

    KISS Records in LA
    From: robstar@webspan.net
    The follwing is a report from HARDRADIO.COM on Feb.9,1998:
    "Putting to rest a nasty rumor, KISS IS NOT in Toronto. They've been recording in L.A. The new record is targeted for July/August." They're recording the album with veteran producer Bruce Fairbairn

    The KISS Thought Vault
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Ron Albanese's KISS commentaries on a variety of subjects; humerous and informative! A BRAND NEW edition is up with commentary on the Double Platinum album! Ron believes that the Double Platinum album is really a Paul Stanley Greatest Hits album. Why? Check it out!

    KISS Video Spotlight
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Commentaries, facts, poll questions and analysis on KISS Videos from throughout KISS' career! Issue #2 is up and the KISS 1976 Pro-Shot video is reviewed! Click here to read The KISS Video Spotlight!

    Patrick Vick's Digital Art Gallery
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Patrick Vick is well known in the KISS Online world as one of the best online KISS artists from his work at his great KISS Eye Kandy webapge! Now you can see his work at The KISS Asylum in this brand new feature! Each month Patrick will be submitting a new piece of artwork for all to enjoy! Click over to the Patrick Vick Digital Art Gallery to see his great work!

    Strike UNION Paydirt Contest Winners!
    From: The UNION Asylum
    The STRIKE UNION PAYDIRT contest is over and the winners are in!! We are proud to report that the contest was a great success! In addition to the numerous people here in the U.S. who entered the contest, we also received entries from many other countries around the world including: Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Peru, Australia, and, of course, Canada (way to go Brent!).
    Click Here To See Who Won!

    KISS Army Online: Fan Focus
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Check out the KISS Army Online: Fan Focus where we concentrate on you, the KISS fan! Right now we are taking pictures of you in KISS makeup for our "KISS Army Warpaint" section and pictures of your KISS Tattoos for our "KISS My Tattoo" section. Brand new selections up now!
    Click here for more information and to see how you can get involved!

    State Of The UNION:
    An Ongoing Report From Bruce & John
    From: The UNION Asylum
    Bruce and John discuss the new UNION album and do a track by track analysis in periodic installments. As if that wasn't enough, they will also be answering fan questions with each installment!
    Click here to read their brand NEW installment!

    Bob Rodrick's KISS Trivia Chat
    From: The KISS Asylum
    KISS Fact of the Week's Bob Rodrick has his monthly KISS Trivia chat THIS Thursday, February 12th at 9pm EST. It is a very popular chat so make sure to come early! Don't miss out on the fun!

    Win Originals II!
    From: Johanne
    Wanna win a copy of the famous Originals 2 Japanese LP???? Check out the contest page in the new Chikara KISS Collectables web site.
    http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Backstage/4005/index.html


    February 7



    KISS Psycho Circus #6
    From: The KISS Asylum
    The new KISS "Psycho Circus" comic came out last Wednesday. Inside is part III of the continuing story Smoke & Mirrors. Also inside is part two of a reprint of the Michael Brandvold interview with "Psycho Circus" artist Angel Medina. And as always, inside is the continuing feature "Psycho Babble," where fans can write in to express themselves.
    You can submit your thoughts and questions to: Psycho Babble, P.O. Box 27228, Tempe, AZ 85285-7228, or email to: www.spawn.com. Go get this comic!

    UNION Radio Tour & Van Halen Rumor
    From: Bruce Kulick
    John and I start travelling for two weeks to promo the UNION CD. Hope to see you if we hit your area. The Kiss/UNION Asylum will have the info. Just wanted to let you all know that we can win the war with radio one battle at a time. So be polite and persistant and know that all involved are working hard to make the band heard by all! Also wanted to clear something up regarding UNION. There is a rumour going around that we will open for Van Halen on their upcoming tour. As much as we would love this (what new band wouldn't), it is totally not true. Someone has changed the desire for this tour, or one like it, into a confirmation. I just wanted to clear this up because I don't need to piss off my friends in Van Halen by having a rumour started just because we would love to get the opening slot. I think you all understand. UNION is out on February 24th. Thanks for all the support, we all appreciate it and can't wait 'til you all have the new album. All the best to you all!

    UNION Radio Promo Tour Dates
    From: Paula Hogan of Mayhem Records
    Hello Folks! Here's the scoop. Bruce and John will be appearing at the following next week. We will be on a tight schedule so please understand that we won't be able to hang out for long, but it would be nice to see everyone.
    Click Here To Check Out The UNION Radio Promo Tour Dates


    February 5



    "Master & Slave" On The Charts
    From: Chris
    Here's the latest from the February 6th R&R Charts:
    "Master and Slave" moves up to #40 on the Active Rock Top 50. It had 343 plays from 22 stations. Unfortunately, there were no adds for the week. Master also appears on the Rock Top 50 barely falling short of cracking the top 50. It had 88 plays by 10 stations with no adds.

    No Progress In Case Of Missing Mother
    [By Edward J. Crowder of the Connecticut Post] via KISSJawa@aol.com
    More than a month after Annemarie Cusano disappeared from her Park Street home, police are still perplexed by the mystery. "We're still devoting time to it," said Detective Benjamin Trabka, lead investigator in the case. Cusano, 43, has not been seen since she left home in her car on Jan. 2. She was reported missing when she failed to pick up her twin teen-age daughters at a friend's house the following day. Cusano left few clues.
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here!


    February 3



    NAMM Report Part 2
    From: Drew Harris
    I was picking up my friend Mitch from where he was staying on Sunset at the apartment of a friend (the bass player for David Bowie and Rod Stewart), when who should be at the buidling but...Ace Frehley, and his manager George Sewitt.
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here!

    "Master & Slave" On The Charts
    From: Chris
    Here's the latest from the January 30th R&R Charts:
    Master has moved up three places to #46 on the Active Rock Top 50 with 269 plays from 22 stations with 2 adds for the week. Although I thought it would crack the Rock Top 50, it has dropped entirely out of the Rock category. The song has not showed up on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Top 40 yet. Unless things get going soon, Master will not come close to doing what Jungle did.


    February 2



    NAMM Expo Reports!
    From: Jheni Clason
    Yet after another tiring day at the NAMM show, I have re-couped and am ready to report! We were aware that both Gene and Ace were going to be at the convention on Saturday, and we knew what time Gene was scheduled to appear, so the first thing we did was get to the Gibson booth and see what time Ace was designated to autograph. Gene was at 2:00, and Ace was at 2:30.
    Click Here To Read The Exclusive NAMM Report!

    NAMM Expo Report 2
    From: Drew Harris
    Here's my annual NAMM show report.
    --- Ran into Bruce Kulick and Union drummer Brent Fitz at the Gibson booth. There is currently the possibility that Union will be opening up for Van Halen this year on VH's upcoming world tour....all plans are still very tentative and not finalized/formalized yet (probably a few weeks away), but hey, it would be way cool.
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here!

    NAMM Expo Report 3
    From: PowerGrfx@aol.com
    I was given two free tickets to attend the Gibson All-Star-Jam at the Roxy in Hollywood after the convention. When we arrived, Gilby Clarks band (with Eric Singer on drums) was playing (Eric played a tremedous drum solo!) Later that night, Slash and his band played a full set of blues covers (which was very cool). After Slash's last encore Ace Frehley joined Slash and his band in a cool blues number. When Slash and his band left the stage, Ace came back and played four songs with the bass player that was in his solo band before the KISS reunion and Eric Singer on drums!
    Would You Like To Know More? Click Here!

    Fanzines at The KISS Asylum
    From: The KISS Asylum
    KISSASYLUM.COM welcomes yet again another great fanzine to our online fanzine community, KISSIN' TIME USA!. Please check out their new webpage. It has all the info one needs to know about their fanzine and how to sign up for it! http://kissasylum.com/ktusa

    While we are on the subject, I want to bring to everyone's attention all the other great Fanzines that are online and part of KISSASYLUM.COM
    KISS Firehouse | KISS Hell Online | KISS Kollector Online | KISS Dynasty Online | KISSIN' Time USA

    KISS Cars
    From: Marty Downes
    I got the Johnny Lighting KISS cars today and they are awesome! Each car comes with a photo card, there are 50 differant cards to collect.

    KISS & UNION Polls!
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Thanks to everyone that submitted their results to the January KISS/UNION Asylum Polls. To check out the results of The KISS Asylum Poll question, " Compared to the level of the 70's, do you think the level of KISS merchandise currently available is reasonable?" , click here. To find out the results of the UNION Asylum Poll question "What non-UNION song would you most like UNION to play in concert?", click here. Check it out! Don't forget to participate in the February KISS/UNION Asylum Polls while you are there! =)
    Please note, the KISS Asylum Poll form has moved from the top left column of the front page to the right column under the WHAT's HOT section!

    KISS Army Online: Fan Focus
    From: The KISS Asylum
    Check out the KISS Army Online: Fan Focus where we concentrate on you, the KISS fan! Right now we are taking pictures of you in KISS makeup for our "KISS Army Warpaint" section and pictures of your KISS Tattoo's for our "KISS My Tattoo" section.
    Click here for more information and to see how you can get involved!

    Let It Flow! The UNION Radio Campaign
    From: The UNION Asylum
    Click over to The UNION Asylum to see how you can support UNION and their upcoming new single "Old Man Wise" via the radio!
    Click Here To Find Out More Information!

    KISS Online Charts
    From: Florian Hedwig / KISS Asylum News Germany
    Hi KISSers! The new Charts for February are finished.
    Here is the Top 5 of the album charts:
    1.(1) Destroyer 224pts
    2.(2) Alive!222
    3.(3) Revenge 175
    4.(4) Rock And Roll Over 164
    5.(5) Alive II 150
    --- Songs:
    1.(1) Deuce147 pts
    2.(3) Detroit Rock City 105
    3.(2) Rock And Roll All Nite 89
    4.(3) Black Diamond 79
    5.(5) Shock Me 63
    Just send me your five fave songs/albums!
    If you want to see detailed results of the charts with all songs go to:
    http://kunden.swhamm.de/hedwig/kchart.htm

    State Of The UNION:
    An Ongoing Report From Bruce & John
    From: The UNION Asylum
    A new Feature to The UNION/KISS Asylum! Bruce and John discuss the new UNION album and do a track by track analysis in periodic installments. As if that wasn't enough, they will also be answering fan questions with each installment!
    Click below to read their brand NEW addition!
    http://kissasylum.com/union/unionaddress.shtml



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