From: Sheldon Kane

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KISS PSYCHO CIRCUS ALBUM REVIEW

I finally heard it yesterday. This is the one everybody's been waiting for, and let me tell you, it is well worth the wait! PSYCHO CIRCUS is KISS' 31st album and the first studio album to feature all four original members in many years. If I had one word to describe this album, it would be...interesting. There's a lot of different sounds on this album, so if you're looking for a straight-ahead rock album the whole way down, you won't get it here. Here is a track-by-track review:

1.PSYCHO CIRCUS-An instant classic! This is KISS in all of their glory. A perfect choice for the first single. This song gets you pumped to hear the rest of the album. Ace's solo is incredible, and Paul has a very strong vocal. Can't wait to see the video.

2.WITHIN-You will find on this album that Gene's songs are among the highlights of this album. The backwards Ace intro is amazing, and Gene's vocal is very dark, very haunting. I heard from somebody that this song was inspired the work of novelist Poppy Z. Brite (an excellent writer. Check out the book Lost Souls sometime). If this is true, it's a very good homage.

3.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE-A strong effort from Paul. You don't usually hear songs like this anymore, so it mey take some re-adjusting to get into oi. But trust me, after a few listens, you'll be singing along.

4.INTO THE VOID-Is this Frehley's Comet or KISS? This is the Ace track, but it sounds so unbelievably dated, you'd swear this was a Comet outtake from 1989. This, unfortunately, is not one of the better songs on the album.

5.WE ARE ONE-A great Gene song. This, believe me, will be a chart hit. It sounds like a very radio-ready song, a sound along the lines of Natalie Merchant. But that's said with all the compliments in the world. You'll get into this one. If Mercury doesn't release this one as a single, then that would prove to me that they're still lost in Hansonville.

6.YOU WANTED THE BEST-About the only thing good to say about this one is that it's the first time all four members share lead vocals. It sounds like they were trying very hard to write a '90s "Rock And Roll All Nite", but it just sounds corny. That's a shame. I really had high hopes for this song.

7.RAISE YOUR GLASSES-Good Paul song. The theme is something along the lines of "I" or "Trial By Fire." You know, a song about beating the odds and triumphing in the face of adversity. Well, that is the essence of KISS, so this song to me is a fitting tribute to their perseverance.

8.I FINALLY FOUND MY WAY-A Paul-written ballad with a Peter vocal. Not a bad combo. Peter shows that he hasn't lost any of his vocal ability. He sounds like he's really moved by the lyrics, and there's a great middle section where Paul and Peter share harmonies. A good ballad. Sounds like a cross between "Every Time I Look At You" and Peter's cover of "Jealous Guy."

9.DREAMIN'-This one reminds me of a song KISS recorded but didn't release in 1987 called "Sword And Stone." Again, Paul is in fine form here, and there's a good Ace solo, too. Not bad.

10.JOURNEY OF 1,000 YEARS-An epic. Believe me. This one will floor you. One of the best songs Gene's ever written. Again, another dark sounding tune, very gothic. The violin section doesn't hurt either. He has improved so much as a writer over the last 25 years, and it's evident here.

Okay, you've got my take on it. But what really matters is yours. Get out there on September 22 and pick it up. You be the judge.

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