From: Marnik Bellecoste

I won't say "KISS is back", cause really inside my heart they never went away... I will be a KISS-fan till I die and they'll always get my support, so let's try to put up a fair judging review. The cover, packaging and artwork are worth a 10/10 points (real kiss) so let's take a look at the songs.

PSYCHO CIRCUS : Worth definately 10/10. A real KISS-blast and sure can match a "detroit rock city, deuce, etc..." This really is my favourite track.

WITHIN' : Could've been on "carnival of souls". It sure matches songs as "in my head, rain..." Not a kiss-classic matcher though. I'll give it a 9/10 for it's up-to-date-90's-sound. I look forward to see the Demon do this live on stage... (?)

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE : Let's give this a 7/10. It kinda reminds me at the "crazy nights period" You can hear from miles away that this is a Stanley-composition. Paul certainly knows how to make commercial songs but what happened to the Kiss-co-writing material?

INTO THE VOID : First of all, Ace always was my favourite, and let's face it... He sounds like no other... Ace always made the KISS-Sound. He may not have been as technically as Bruce, but he had balls (and still has) Listen to this opening riff. This song reminds me at "The comet" and not at the original KISS. I'd like to give the song a 7/10.

WE ARE ONE : Everybody seems to dislike this one but it could hit the charts. No classic Kiss, but very Up-to-date sounding. Cool!!! 8/10

YOU WANTED THE BEST : It will be a very good live song, but won't make us forget "R&R all nite". This studio version reminds me at "Boomerang" and "No no no" witch makes me give it a 6/10

RAISE YOUR GLASSES : Now this is something I can appreciate. With it's catchy "football chant" -chorus it makes me feel like singin it hours after a KISS-concert as crowds do "Hey Jude" Beatles. 8/10

I FINALLY FOUND MY WAY : I guess this is a straight aim for the charts but I have the feeling that it just might fail. Too much trying of copying "Beth". Don't get me wrong I do like Peter's material, (even his solo work) but this... No, sorry... It is too obviously for it to appear on this come back album. I do hope Kiss plays "Beth" instead of this on the psycho tour. 5/10, let's face it : Even Kiss can't re-live the "Beth-succes".

DREAMING : Typical Paul! Great vocal lines, and commercial as always. I find it one of the best tracks on the album. Again no classic Kiss but better than the "crazy nights" era. 9/10 could be on Paul's solo album part II

JOURNEY OF A 1.000 YEARS : Weird! That's what popped in my mind after hearing it for the first time but after listening again it has become one of my favourites. As you listen close you can hear every instrument coming on, one after another. The accoustic guitar sounds great and the song ends in one hell of a wall of sound. It sounds so full. 9/10. Way to go Gene!!!

COMMENTS : If I like it is not the question, it is obviously when you look at the rating. The question is will "Psycho Circus" bring back Kiss' N°1 status. The answer is ... NO. I only find one classic reminding Kiss song (title track), the rest of the album is up to date, passé or cliché. My opinion is that Kiss should have tried to make an album that (as they said ) would match Destroyer or Love Gun. Well it doesn't. I think some Kiss fans won't like it cause it doesn't sound as the Original Kiss, and others cause it is too varied in styles. I love the string & choir-classic stuff, but wil others do? I mean look at "The elder" I loved it and I think Kiss can be proud of that album but hey, it didn't sell that good! I sincerely hope that the world proves my predictement wrong. Cause if this album fails, what will happen next...? And I just can't live in a world without heroes...

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