"Monster" CD by Kiss

by Michael Rother (01.10.2012) Undoubtedly, for purists (and I consider myself to be one of them, too), the Kiss line-up without Ace Frehley and Peter Criss aboard is merely the world’s best cover band. Nevertheless, you should have an open ear for “Monster“ because it contains some interesting details (rest assured, more than on “Sonic boom“). By now, the lead track ‘Hell or hallelujah’ should be well-known among the Kiss community: a great uptempo opening song - no prisoners here (apart from the fact that it would have been a perfect fit for “Hot in the shade“, too…)! ‘Wall of sound’ is a real surprise - a pumping Boogie Rock thing featuring some Blues-drenched guitars. ‘All for the love of Rock 'n' Roll’ is a typical party anthem à la Kiss, including Eric Singer’s big moment. The final track ‘Last chance’ starts with a phat bass, and turns into a sing-along tune quite fast. Stanley and Simmons know exactly what they’re doing. The bonus song ‘Right here right now’ also fits into the lot regarding quality and atmosphere - with its awesome hook, it even develops the charm of a track that could have also been on ‘Unmasked’. There’s just one drawback, though: was it really necessary for Mr. Thayer to imitate Ace Frehley on ‘Outta this world’? Anyway, ”Monster“ is really not a bad album, so I’d rank it somewhere in the upper middle field of the Kiss catalogue so far.