Monster (Remastered) Kiss

• 1 Hell Or Hallelujah 04:07
• 2 Wall Of Sound 02:56
• 3 Freak 03:35
• 4 Back To The Stone Age 03:01
• 5 Shout Mercy 04:05
• 6 Long Way Down 03:51
• 7 Eat Your Heart Out 04:06
• 8 The Devil Is Me 03:41
• 9 Outta This World 04:29
• 10 All For The Love Of Rock & Roll 03:22
• 11 Take Me Down Below 03:25
• 12 Last Chance 03:06
• Total Runtime 43:44

Info for Monster (Remastered)

The 20th album from the Hard Rock legends KISS. The album features contributions from all four members, including co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons and longtime members guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer. Monster represents Kiss' nod to the music that first inspired the band to pick up their guitars and flame-throwers, and don makeup to entertain millions. The group goes back to it's own beginnings with the Who-like 'Freak,' while Gene lives up to the title track's declaration on the raucous rock of 'Back to the Stone Age' and the bludgeoning 'The Devil is Me.' 'There are no symphony orchestras, boy choirs, keyboards, outside producers or songwriters on this album,' promises Gene Simmons. 'The best thing we did was to turn inwards to ourselves. Tommy and Eric have revitalized this band, with a work ethic and the talent to back it up. This is a real band effort. Kiss has become a behemoth. We're going where no bands have gone before.'

On Monsters, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer do what they have believed in for decades what they do best: reliable, straight, true rock 'n' roll! 12 tracks that hit the 12. Meat and Potatoes (Simmons) KISS has dispensed with superfluous gimmicks such as symphony orchestra, boy choirs, keyboards, star producers and songwriters.

Produced on analog equipment at Conway Studios and Nook Studio City in California, "Monster" is a real band project. All four co-wrote on the album and sung leadvocals.

On the first single release, the energetic, autobiographical "Hell or Hallelujah", Paul Stanley brings the entire album to the point in a battle cry. Gene Simmons lives up to the predatory "Back to the Stone Age" and the formidable "The Devil is Me". "Take Me Down Below" is one of KISS's usual sexual ambiguities, in the manner of "Love Gun" or "Lick It Up". Guitarist Tommy Thayer enters the spotlight with "Outta This World", then shines through his Led Zeppelin/ Chicago Blues/ "Helter Skelter" riffs on "Wall of Sound", his wah wah solo on the "Honky Tonk Woman" meets AC/DC bang "Eat Your Heart Out", the Chuck Berry reminiscent outbursts on "Shout Mer" cycy" or the energy of his own track "Outta This World". The vocals (and inspiration) for the stadium anthem "All For The Love of Rock & Roll" written by Stanley come from drummer Eric Singer.

Monster creates for the new decade what great KISS albums such as Destroyer for the '70s, Creatures of the Night for the 80s and Revenge for the 90s have accomplished. The monster is KISS - larger than life and almost never before. With over 100 million albums sold, KISS are among the most successful rockers of all time. Next year, the New Yorkers can celebrate their 40th as a band.

Paul Stanley, vocals, rhythm guitar
Gene Simmons, vocals, bass
Tommy Thayer, lead guitar, vocals
Eric Singer, drums, vocals

Recorded April 13, 2011 – January 6, 2012 at Conway, Hollywood, California; The Nook, Studio City, California
Produced by Paul Stanley, Greg Collins

Digitally remastered

KISS
is an American rock band formed in New York City in December 1972. Easily identified by its members' trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid and late-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics. Kiss has been awarded 24 gold albums to date.The band has sold over 85 million albums to date.

The original lineup of Paul Stanley (vocals and rhythm guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals and bass guitar), Ace Frehley (lead guitar and vocals), and Peter Criss (drums, percussion and vocals) is the most successful and identifiable. With their makeup and costumes, they took on the personae of comic book-style characters: The Demon (Simmons), Starchild (Stanley), Spaceman (Frehley), and Catman (Criss). The band explains that the fans were the ones who ultimately chose their makeup designs. The 'Demon' makeup reflected Gene's cynicism and dark elements, as well as his love for comic books. Paul Stanley became the 'Starchild' due to his tendency to be referred to as the 'starry-eyed lover' and 'hopeless romantic.' Ace Frehley's 'Spaceman' makeup was a reflection of him wanting to go for a ride in a space ship and supposedly being from another planet. Peter Criss' 'Catman' makeup was in accordance with the belief that Peter had nine lives due to his rough childhood in Brooklyn. Due to creative differences, both Criss and Frehley were out of the group by 1982. The band's commercial fortunes had also waned considerably by that point.

In 1983, Kiss abandoned its makeup and enjoyed a commercial resurgence throughout the rest of the decade. Buoyed by a wave of Kiss nostalgia in the 1990s, the band announced a reunion of the original lineup (with makeup) in 1996. The resulting Kiss Alive/Worldwide/Lost Cities/Reunion Tour was the top-grossing act of 1996 and 1997. Criss and Frehley have since left Kiss again and have been replaced by Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer, respectively. The band continues to perform with makeup, while Stanley and Simmons have remained the only two constant members.

KISS is regarded as one of the most influential rock and roll bands of all-time. Their career milestones are staggering. KISS holds honors as one of America’s top gold record champions, recording 36 albums over 32 years selling over 85 million albums worldwide.

Over thirty years of record-breaking tours around the globe include high-profile appearances at Super Bowl XXXIII, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and most recently, the 2005 Rockin’ The Corps concert dedicated to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The KISS legacy continues to grow, generation after generation, transcending age, race and creed. The unparalleled devotion and loyalty of the KISS Army to the “Hottest Band in the World” is a striking testament to the band’s unbreakable bond with its fans.

This album contains no booklet.