From: William K. Mahler

The day before September 22, 1998, I was briskly walking to the CD store "around the corner" from where I live and bought myself "Psycho Circus" even though I am in debt financially for I am in debt to myself for some awesome rock and roll and the debt is paid with interest now.

To me, hearing this CD is pleasure. Upbeat, uplifting, informing, fun, scary, simple and deep and pure rock and roll at rock and rolls best from this decade of the nineteen nineties is heard from KISS within "Psycho Circus". For over a year there has a been a page at my site titled "W. O. M. P.". At that page there is information about a persons work before the communist - democratic within the Department of Psycho Correlations and the Moscow Department Of Psycho Corrections both located at the then Union Of Soviet Socialist Republic now known as Russia. There at both of those places, many studies were taken here to the United States and some are implemented within society today. Psycho Circus has a theme that is an extension of KISS "Carnival Of Souls", a recording about life from the depths of drug use, life abuse and loss of direction to cleaning oneself and paying for ones past life. The song "Psycho Circus" is a brief informative tell all about the life of KISS as sang by Paul Stanley. Russia has been famous for Russian circuses. KISS is famous for the glitz and glam. Now, KISS has made an effort to inform the masses and it is successful. Fantasy and reality are mixed brilliantly within this song that has the sound quality of another masterpiece of KISS titled "Detroit, Rock City" a song sang from the first person experience while being reckless and under the influence of alcohol and drugs to an eventual death. "Psycho Circus" takes the listener into a journey to where only experience from first and second hand lived lives could know. Into the asylum, into the wards of a place where an attempt to reach out and effect someone is taken.

Being one to have been in one of many KISS chatrooms of the internet for over a year now, using mIRC and the EFNet and chatting about "W. O. M. P." to building a page to hearing and seeing this new c. d. and most importantly meeting some extremely smart individuals along the way makes listening to the song "Psycho Circus" all the more enjoyable. "Within" is a song that during the "Lick It Up" tour of 1983 and 1984 at the Worcester Centrum for I was there I recall hearing the guitar structures from the now former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent during his guitar solo. Gene Simmons sings about being to know the previous and takes the moments of then and now for the future. To be able to experience life from within the view of another person is a true gift. Gene Simmons of a persons ability to keep secrets and to find them from being within is what "Within" is all about. "I Pledge Allegiance To The State Of Rock And Roll" is to and for every person ever involved with rock and roll and is the best rock and roll anthem since "For Those About To Rock, We Salute You" from AC / DC. The guitar riffs from Ace Frehley highlight some of the most noted sounds of the last few decades and Ace Frehley greatly improves all of them.

The one - two beat of the chorus combined with the trademark sound of Paul Stanleys vocals really standout along with some honest lyrics. Ace Frehley takes "Into The Void" and created some excellent analogies to describe insanity and attempts to get out of it only to get stuck in it. The sound and song structure seem to have been put together with some of Ace Frehleys work from KISS "Dynasty" and "The Elder" in mind along with many different updated and slightly different best of guitar solos from the entire KISS years. "We are one, everywhere I go, everyone I see and I see my face looking back at me. Everything I know, what I know is true, everyone of us, lives inside of you, we are one, we are one. You are me, I am you, what you see is all true." "We Are One" is a deep and simple written song about being an individual and joining together with a person or persons in unity. The song is written by and sang by Gene Simmons with some great harmonies including the rest of KISS. It starts with a free flying feeling that is uplifting and asserts with confidence. Surely, the best of KISS at its best with more to come. Hearing "We Are One" and knowing that a man peforming as a demon gives plenty of reason to really start thinking about the many ways to use that chorus.

"You Wanted The Best" is a song that Gene Simmons had been planning since the late nineteen seventies and all four members of KISS sing this song. About the life of KISS then to how KISS is now, the song is also created with a musical diary - improvisation in mind on a night to night basis. There is reason to believe that the ending of the song is really only half of the song and the rest will be performed in concert complete with a Peter Criss drum solo and more full band improvisation. "Raise Your Glasses", now that is a song I remember hearing in a bar across from a movie theater in Lake Placid, New York. The bar is on the shore of Lake Placid and there inside was a very joval setting complete with people of many ages raising their glasses and singing along with the individual also known as Paul Stanley. My wife and I were within an arms distance to the man who was using two synthesizers and a couple of acoustic guitars that night wearing a blue collar button shirt and with his lady friend of the time. "Reason To Live, "Everytime I Look At You", "Forever" and dozens of cover tunes were performed and many other songs of the past and future were spoken about then. The rock group Queen for years ended their liver performances with "We Are The Champions." Thank you Queen, now there is a new encore to accompany "We Are The Champions". "Standing tall, 'cause we're the champions, raise your glasses, raise your glasses."

Peter Criss has combined his blues and jazz vocals with Paul Stanleys country and contemporary written song "I Finally Found My Way" and have created a song that does indeed have a place in adult contemporary and is highlighted with some excellent harmonization with Paul Stanley and Peter Criss. The song is about finding oneself and a honest path to a friend. "Dreamin", another song that Vinnie Vincent was performing parts of at the Worcester Centrum is a song about the desire to know and be full of knowledge. To take dreams and make them reality. To find a midway point between darkness and light, day and night and a true honest faith within this world is many persons task and is the meaning and message of this analogy filled song. Paul Stanley does succeeds in bringing his aspect of his life into every word of this song titled "Dreamin". The song also is a prelude to the next and final song. The last song is about a man who has been an inspiration to billions of people and KISS has taken the time to provide a brief, simple and deep insight into the life of one John Lennon as asked by people. One of the early part of the Beatles career while performing live was a precursor and eventually the untimely death of John Lennon brought the creation of the song "Journey Of 1000 Years". John Lennon was asked how he knew which direction his life was going. "Did you sleep without dreams. Did you fly without wings. Did you touch without feel where nothing is real. Did you feel it coming. Did you hear it? Or was it the roar of the crowd?" The CD is awesome. The story lines of each story flows flawlessly. Each song can "stand alone" and each song is important to the others. I ask, which song best describes you? The work of KISS is unlike any other rock and roll artist(s) work for it is more uplifting and far from burden heavy. KISS promised a kick ass rock and roll CD and KISS delivered. Thank you. Of course this CD of KISS titled "Psycho Circus" gets ten stars:-).

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