From: Chris Desing

Well, I finally got my advance copy from Polygram, and here's my review.

Back in late February, many of us in the online internet community berated Doug Snazel because he told us he had inside information that the new Kiss album, Psycho Circus, would be the most disjointed effort by the band, with not one song featuring all 4 members playing together. Many of us were upset saying "That preposterous".

Well, maybe he wasn't wrong.

Let me share some of my credentials with you so you know where I'm coming from for this upcoming review. I've been a die-hard KISS fan since 1978. I've played guitar for over 10 years, drums for over 15. I'm worked in recording studios. I've studied styles of various musicians over the years. Basically, I know KISS when I hear KISS.

In society, people do their best work when they are at their lowest point. If someone wants to get a raise or promotion at their current job, they do better work in hopes that it will come along. But what happens when that day comes? That first new paycheck comes in and that person starts to show less effort. They don't have anything to prove anymore. They got what they wanted. Kiss, in 1982, did one of their best albums ever, Creatures of the Night, despite many hardships. Their popularity was at an all time low and they needed to prove they were still the best at what they did. This is precisely why it is a great album. In 1978 Gene in particular did some of his worst work on his solo album. Why? Because he didn't feel like he had anything to prove. He was #1 in the world. He had everyone around him telling him how great he was and that he was untouchable.

Fast forward to 1998. Once again, the 4 members of KISS are #1 in the world after an amazingly successful reunion tour. The main question once again appears - Does KISS feel like they have anything to prove when they do their new studio album? Or are they simply going to let history, as ugly as it was, repeat itself? And would all 4 original members really be on these tracks?

I put on the cassette this week with all of these questions in the back of my mind. The first track, "Psycho Circus", has great riffs reminiscient of classic Paul Stanley "Killers-era" writing. The song is solid. The musicianship is excellent. Quite obvious that it's Paul playing the lead guitar on this track. Ace's vibrato is much different. Ace may not have played any guitars on this track. If it's Peter playing on drums, he really has worked his ass off and gotten himself together to record. The drums are clever, but not anything Pete couldn't handle on a good day. So with that I remain optimistic. Maybe Peter worked his ass off to come up with interesting drums to play on the album - to expand his repotoire of chops and fills. As far as Gene playing bass on this track - Maybe and maybe not. During the Carnival of Souls sessions he openly admitted his lack of love for recording bass in the studio. Bruce did most of the bass on that album. So based on that, I'm not sure if it's Gene on this track.

"Within" is Gene's first contribution to the album. Gene's excesses might be getting to him again. He's the only member of KISS addicted to fame and money. He's always had a tough time dealing with it. When he's poor, he's great. When he's rich, he's uninspired to write anything with "balls" in it. This song is very COS (Carnival of Souls)-like. It has drop-D tuning on the guitars, which gives it that COS sound. There's a middle section where the double harmony lead is really nice (note this solo is the also played at the beginning of the song backwards as the intro). It's not Ace playing this middle section lead. Once again, not his vibrato and style. And I'm not sure Paul would either, though it may be Paul. He's capable of that one. I think Gene was trying to write another "Saint and Sinner" type song. Now there's a guitar solo at the end with loads of feedback and wah-wah. It's quite obvious it's Bruce Kulick playing that. I think anyone who has heard COS enough can tell. But I really, really like this song.

"I pledge Allegience". GREAT song. Paul never ceases to amaze me that he can be so consistent over the years and write so many good songs without losing where his head is at. He has such great love for what he does, and it shows. Music is Paul's life. The lyrics in this song reflect it. And the fact that he can still write like this after all these years is testament to that. Now back to the musicianship. Could be Peter on drums. It's definitely the same drummer on all tracks so far. Same sound. Same everything. Guitar solo? Hmmmm. It's not Paul. It's probably not Ace. It's definitely not Paul. And upon hearing Bruce obviously playing on "Within", I wouldn't rule him out. But it might not be any of them. Might be a studio musician. Whoever it was, they were trying to sound like Ace. They're Ace-style riffs, but I'm very very doubtful that it's Ace.

"Into the Void". Ace's contribution starts with a Rocket Ride style riff. Which is great. This is definitely Ace playing the guitars. Paul may not have touched this song. It might be Ace's guitars only on this track. But this is the way it was in 1979 and 1980. Back then, if Ace DID happen to play on Paul's tracks, it was only the leads. Paul and Gene both didn't touch Ace's tracks. He would play all the guitars and bass. I have a feeling that this is the same thing. And the drums... Well, this is definitely Peter. The hits, the snare fills, the "Strutter" fill played as the only fill in the song (over and over again). When he hits the crash cymbal on the first note of the measure, he plays the crash on the second note as well. Pete did that on MTV unplugged during "2000 Man" and a zillion times on the Reunion tour. The fills are simple, minimal... This is Peter playing. Now based on this, I'm pretty sure Pete hasn't shown up before this on the album, because if he WAS really working hard to come up with interesting fills and playing styles for this album, he wouldn't have fallen into the cliche' Peter style for this track. Only makes sense. Plus the drum sound is different. The snare isn't as beefy as on the other tracks. Bottom line: Pete probably didn't do anything to make himself play better before they went to record. So they decided to use someone else instead on most of the record so they could get the sound they wanted.

"We are one". Ironically during the early 1990's in the Revenge-era, Gene used to chastise Paul for writing ballads. He would openly express this view in interviews. Once again, Gene has money and makes "Mr Make Believe part 2". It is the most uninspired junk I've ever heard Gene write. It's an awful pop-crap song. I'm not sure if Paul or Ace even bothered to play any guitars on this track. It's probably all Gene. If there's distorted guitars, they're buried deep in the mix. All clean guitars on the top of this one. Once again, the phantom drummer appears. The fills are too different from "Into the Void". If Pete played like that on that song, he would have played like that on this song too. It's not Pete.

"You Wanted the Best". All 4 share lead vocals, which is cool. But it's not natural, it's forced. The lyrics are pretty self-serving. Kinda turns me off to this track. Paul plays guitars on this one. Ace does the lead and it's a long one -the solo is remeniscient of "Love Em Leave Em" with a cool flange effect on the end of it. The Phantom drummer once again appears.

"Raise Your Glasses". A cool Paul track. Has a riff like "It's my life" - an outtake from Creatures. Real catchy chorus. The Phantom drummer once again plays. Paul does all the guitars - even the solo.

"I finally found my way". Peter's vocal contribution to the album. It's got an "Out of Control" sound to it. This is, of course, the ballad of the album. Paul and Peter sound really nice singing together during the bridge (which was ripped off from Everytime I look at you). The solo features a string section. A real pretty song. Ironically, I think the Phantom drummer once again appears.

"Dreamin". The last Paul song on the album. The riff was lifted from Alice Coopers "Eighteen". A good solid track nonetheless. Sounds like Paul's solo album era. The wah-wah guitar solo is obviously Mr. Bruce Kulick. Phantom drummer once again appears.

"Journey of 1000 Years". The last song. A real good last song written by Gene. It's not the typical Gene song. It's progressive. Has the same middle section as the song "Psycho Circus". Well written. The phantom drummer once again appears.

So to recap:

Paul Stanley - Still has it. Writes great. Sang 4 songs and part of a 5th on the album. Plays lead guitar on 2.

Ace Frehley - "Into the Void" is classic Ace. He's still got it as well. Plays lead guitar on 2, maybe 3 tracks.

Gene Simmons - Sang 3 vocals. Doesn't know what he wanted to say on this album. Probably plays minimal bass on the album. Probably plays all the guitars on "We Are One".

Peter Criss - Does 1 lead vocal. Plays 1 drum track. Got married and went on his honeymoon during the recording sessions. The band probably completed the rest of the album without him around. And it probably doesn't bother him.

Phantom drummer - Probably plays on 9 tracks.

Bruce Kulick - Co-wrote 1 song. Plays lead guitar on 2, maybe 3 tracks. Probably played some bass as well.

Remember this review doesn't contain any information I got from "a good source". As a matter of fact, I've heard little from ANY sources on this album. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who's who. Remember how you felt when you heard Paul's vocal on "Room Service" on the "You Wanted the best" album? I said to myself "Who are they trying to fool?". And that's what it comes down to with this album. It was more important for KISS that the "idea" of KISS existed more than for all 4 members to actually work together on recording this album. That just wasn't one of their priorities. As a result, it's a very choppy album. One song doesn't flow into the next, and I already find myself skipping over tracks. The first 4 songs are brilliant, and then I could take or leave the rest. This album is an excuse for KISS to tour, and whatever it took to finish it on time, was what it took to finish it on time.

Paul said during the Australian KISS Press conference in 1997 that the best KISS album was yet to be made. If it is, it certainly isn't this one.

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