From: Pia Delehag

To Kiss Asylum: Please erase my erlier review sent in today since I made some errors while writing it. I hope this will not cause you any troubles. Thank you. Hereīs my correct review.

Kiss used to be my favorite band between 1987-1997 but to be honest, when the reunion happened I wasnīt really thrilled anymore. Untill that point Kiss atleast tried to make good music (alltough they didnīt always managed to) but now it was all going to be kids stuff. It took a while for me realize it but when I did see them live here in Sweden last summer I knew that it was all over. Sure: The Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter line-up from the 70īs still has created the best music in Kisstory but it all ended whwn money and fame set in and to me, thatīs what Kiss is all about today which is sad. I still follow them and listen to all of their records but I cannot ignore that Kiss has become a band for kids and it shouldnīt be like that. Anyway, done is done but I didnīt really sat down to listen to this album with any "Great expectations". First Iīll give you my overall opinion and then a song by song review.

OVERALL:This isnīt an album that follows any trends which is good cause Kiss has failed miserably when trying to do so in the past (Unmasked and Crazy nights for example). So, overall the songs on here are actually quite allright but unfortunately this album is being dragged down to "Rock bottom" by some other factors. The circus image is pathetic (Sorry, I canīt accept what theyīre doing and take it for what it is, I have to compere this to all the great stuff they did when they where an honest and pure band), and this record is way to "polished". Whereīs the spontaneity and the rockīn roll? Paul and Gene should step back a bit and let Ace take control. Thereīs no coincidence that almost everyone I talk to thinks that "Into the void" is the best song on here. Sure, some people like the other songs also but EVERYONE seems to like Aceīs contribution. To me (and Iīm not an expert but at least Iīm someone who cares) Ace can only be heard playing on 2 tracks and Peter barely at all. Of course the album will sell (Itīs allready No.1 here in Sweden) just because they are on the cover but it might just as well be Bruce and Eric playing here. Now, I like Bruce and Eric but this is an album with Ace and Peter and it should be heard. But I actually donīt even think that Ace or Peter cares whatīs going on since they are so happy to be back on the top again they will continue to obey politely to almost everything Gene and Paul commands them to do as long as it keeps them in the band. Thiīs isnīt a rockīn roll band anymore , itīs actually sort of like a commercial produkt and it shines through way too clear. What happened to that great attitude they had back in ī92 when "Revenge" came out? Well, i think Iīve made my point by now, over the the songs.

PSYCHO CIRCUS: Pretty good actually, a solid rocker but the guitarrsolo isnīt Ace allthough itīs kinda good anyway. Maybe it is him playing but it doesnīt show. Give him more room to shine since heīs probably the only one in this band who even remembers what Kiss should be all about. The intro to this song is embarrasing, I donīt want those 10 year old Spice-girls fans fans to like this band. thatīs the kind of message this circus-thing sends out. When listening to a Kiss-album those kids should be scared away. I used to be proud of being a Kiss-fan cause I was special and not someone who listened to the hit-list every week. Because of this intro this song only mannages 2,5/5.

WITHINī: Not much to say about this. I like songs like this even though theyīre not straight ahead rockīn roll. At least itīs kinda heavy and not so commercial. But Ace and Peterīs personalitys are nowhere to be found. 3/5.

I PLEDGE ALLIGANCE TO THE STATE OF ROCKīN ROLL: Sounds like the 80īs but that doesnīt means itīs bad. Kiss made some good songs during that period and this would have been one of them. Nice rocker with a pretty heavy beating chorus. The lyrics are a bit corny though but not even near the danger zone...Also 3/5.

INTO THE VOID: Nice to hear Ace again. This song could be really good if the chorus was a bit stronger. This is the only track on the album which comes anywhere near the old Kiss-sound. I still feel however, that Ace is being held back a bit (by Gene & Paul I guess), like they would feel outshined if Ace got to rip off on his Les paul like he wanted to. Cīmon guys: Dare to play it unsafe for a while and have some balls! Because of this this song also "only" get 3/5.

WE ARE ONE: This is really good! Doesnīt really rocks but this song survives through itīs quality. Would have been nice to hear an acoustic solo though. Of course this is radiofriendly but I like it cause itīs a damn good song, as simple as that. 3,5/5.

YOU WANTED THE BEST: Danger zone! Oh no! This is without question the worst song this band has ever recorded (including all the songs from all of the soloalbums by any member who has ever been involved in even singing backup vocals on any of these four guys studio or soloalbums). This make songs like "Turn on the night" or "Sheīs so european" sound great. As soon as Gene yells Yeah Yeah Yeah etc... in the beginning I all of a sudden starts to think about animals. A special kind of animals. Birds, a special kind of bird. Itīs a turkey! The main idea behind this song and the performance of it is so horrible you almost begin to wonder if this is a joke or not. Everything in this song but the guitarr-solo (the 2:nd and last time you can tell itīs really Ace) SUCKS! Lines like "Everythingīs gotten way out of hand but your wish is our command" says it all. Hey, Gene and Paul: Your command should be what the fans tell you, people who like the early albums and thinks that "Revenge" is the best non-make up album. NOT those 10 year old kids who hadnīt got a clue who even Kiss was a couple of years ago. I remember you once said something like: "We donīt need people telling us which records are good. The fans know." Well, to me itīs pretty obvious you do. And, you donīt have to tell us that you guys have become friends again at the end of the song. We allready know this is about friendship & quality & not about the money. Just because of the guitarr-solo (thanx Ace) this one gets 0,5/5.

RAISE YOUR GLASSES: Ok. The chorus is a bit cheesy but itīs ok. Gives me the same vibe as "I pledge..." allthough this one is a little bit weaker. Deserves to be on here though. 2,5/5

I FINALLY FOUND MY WAY: The worst ballad ever recorded by this band (Including the solo-albums). Doesnīt sound honest and doesnīt fit in at all. Peter should be singing a bluesy faster song or a more rough ballad aīla "Goinī blind". The lines "Remember how .....danced the night away" sounds awful. To much orchestration and not enough guitars (Just found the correct spelling in my dictionary)...but overall this song shouldnīt be here. 1/5.

DREAMINī: Pretty good song but I think it should have been let go in favor for something else since too much is stolen (?) from Alice Coopers "Eighteen". To me not only the guitarriff (2 rīs anyway) but also the chorus begins just the same way. Only difference is that Paul sings "Iīm only dreaming" instead of "Iīm eighteen". 3/5

JOURNEY OF A 1000 YEARS: This is the best song on here. A journey to the twilight zone, with a great drum beat and relly good orchestrations. Cool to hear the the riff from PC appering here again (kinda like "Just a boy" / "Only you"). Geneīs singing is good as usual and I like that the second part of the song is instrumental which makes it less predictable. Gene did in my opinion come up with the best stuff on this record (especially "You wanted the best). I think thatīs because Kiss has become such a household name and commercial band (yack!) that anything thatīs not so sing-along-friendly and sweet I tend to like more. 4/5.

IN YOUR FACE: Havenīt heard it yet, still waiting for my japanese import but since itīs Simmons-written and Frehley-sung I think thereīs a good chance for this one to be good.

OVERALL ALBUM RATING: Most of the material on here is quite good (3/5) but two songs (Guess which ones?) drags the grading of the material down to 2 and, I feel sorry I have to write this, together with the lousy, pathetic circus theme, as o whole this album can only recieve 1/5. After all, this is not the Ringlan brothers (or whatever they are called) right? This is a rockīn roll band. Or is it? You tell me Paul.

If Kiss ever wants to create good albums again I believe they do need to hear theyīre bending over when they are, you should know this Gene.

Anyway, thanks for reading my review and I thank everyone involved working with the Kiss Asylum site. Itīs great!!!

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