Russell Hall | Gibson

Hard to believe four decades have passed since Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons first joined up with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley to form KISS. Through the years, with rare exceptions, the band has held firm to its explosive mix of riff-driven rock, arena ready anthems and the occasional soaring ballad. Along the way, several lead guitarists have stepped in to put their distinctive stamps on the KISS sound. Below, we offer profiles of each of those gifted players, and trace their tenures with the band.

Ace Frehley

For many fans, Ace Frehley will always be the definitive KISS guitarist. Starting with the group’s 1974 self-titled album debut and stretching to his initial departure, in 1982, Frehley inspired countless aspiring players to pick up the instrument. Moreover, his impact on his six-string peers during that decade was incalculable, as his thrilling riffs and incendiary solos – delivered on an ever-present Les Paul Custom – dovetailed perfectly with KISS’s pioneering theatrics. Fourteen years after leaving the band, Frehley, along with drummer Peter Criss, rejoined the group as part of a reunion of the original members. Their appearance at the 1996 Grammy Awards ceremony elicited a standing ovation. Two years later, the original KISS lineup released Psycho Circus, and Frehley remained a touring member for the next three and a half years. His last performance with KISS took place on February 24, 2002, during the closing ceremonies of that year’s Winter Olympics.

Vinnie Vincent

Vinnie Vincent’s apprenticeship, as a player, was far and away the most unusual of any KISS guitarist. Specifically, at the turn of the ‘80s, he served as a staff songwriter for the TV shows “Happy Days” and “Joanie Loves Chachi,” often writing tunes for both series on his acoustic guitar at the “Cunningham’s” kitchen table on the studio set. Joining KISS as the replacement for Frehley, in 1982, Vincent was integral to the success of that year’s Creatures of the Night album, and to 1983’s Lick It Up. Both albums marked a return to the hard rock sound that had fueled KISS’s best work in the ‘70s. Vincent’s tenure with KISS ended in March of 1984. Some say his departure was due to conflicts arising over his habit of overextending his solos during KISS’s live shows, but in a 1996 interview with Norway’s KISS Army Magazine, Vincent painted a positive picture of his time with the band. “We grew up with the same kind of bands, and we had the same influences,” he said. “So even though I was technical and Paul [Stanley] wasn’t, it wasn’t really about guitar playing. It was about the songs that we grew up with and that we all loved. And it was about sharing the same musical style. You know, we all loved The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. So the chemistry was there. I think we had respect for each other and I think we were really good friends.”

Mark St. John

Mark St. John’s tenure with KISS was the shortest of any of the band’s guitarists. Still, his contributions to 1984’sAnimalize, one of the best albums from KISS’s “unmasked” period, were dazzling. Formerly a respected guitar instructor based in Southern California, St. John brought a flashy style to KISS – replete with whammy bar pyrotechnics and tapping – that reflected the Van Halen-led battalion of wizard-like six-stringers emerging at that time. During the sessions for Animalize, St. John developed a rare form of arthritis that interfered
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