KISS are a band that have always passed by and didn't cause much of an impact for me. When I first got into hard rock and metal i always swore by ACDC, Metallica, the usuals but never KISS. However, lately ive been curious about what I may have been missing and started digging into the lesser known cuts. Finally it clicked that KISS have alot better straight ahead rock tunes than I gave them credit for. Then I figured why not go big? Not just talk about one album but because its KISS, I want to talk every album and significant live releases as with this band they are as important as the studio releases! So get your face paint, your pyro and your fake blood as we start at the beginning with KISS' self titled debut!
1.Strutter-Opening with Peter Criss' heavy drum opening, this song has always been instantly recognizable. I remember being a kid playing Grand Theft Auto San Andreas blasting this song. Its got that great rock bite in the riffs but perfect amounts of accessibility in Pauls voice. I also love Genes busy bassline and Aces solo just has a great swagger.
2.Nothin To Lose-that chorus riff always gets me its got such a cool feel it while the rest of the song has a bit of a stones/chuck berry groove going on but with more bite especially with Genes more overdriven bass.
3.Firehouse-this one is a fan favorite though it took some time to grow on me. Its got a good slower bluesy groove to it with some great gang vocals behind it. However the live versions of this tune do pump some needed energy into it.
4.Cold Gin-An all time classic in general, not just KISS. Gene's vocals, love him or hate him as a person, have always been kick ass and that chorus just kicks you straight in the gut. The swagger in the main riff pretty much laid down the ground work for just about every glam and sleaze metal band in the 80s too. You can really feel that here. Theres a really cool deviation in the riff in the middle too that is unexpected but welcome.
5.Let Me Know-One of the deeper cuts here, its a standard rocker and doesnt do anything spectacular but it shows paul and genes love for that beatle-esque kind of sound at times. Live im sure it definitely packs alot more of a punch. However, it does get really good...as it fades out. What a tease.
6.Kissin Time- The production here feels more like what their sophmore album overall sounds like. Its a real gem it has this really grungy bassy production to it that i love. It also walks that very fine line of being heavy yet accessible especially for the time.
7.Deuce-my favorite song on this album for two reasons. 1.Genes vocals are badass and 2 Ace's solos while very simple have this swagger and power to them that really capture the raw power of early KISS. This is the band firing on all cylinders!
8.Love Theme From KISS- a very throwaway instrumental and really the only skippable song on the album. It feels like an idea that was never fleshed out and kinda put here to fill time. Though there is some cool bass grooves i do dig in here.
9.100,000 Years-This tune goes back into a heavier territory and one of my favorite tunes from the first three albums. Pauls vocals really have good power and that overdriven bass gets me everytime. There are also alot of great riffs throughout here as well.
10.Black Diamond-Once again another absolute classic this time with Peter Criss taking vocals through the majority of the song. The riff with the guitars and bass in perfect harmony works so damn well. This is also another one that shows how good KISS were with vocal harmonies as well! Ending with every instrument down tuning into the pits of hell, its a great way of ending the start to a long and exciting journey.
Overall, KISS' self titled debut gets a strong 9/10. This was a very strong start for the band bringing this sort of power pop vibe like bands like cheap trick would accomplish as well. However certain songs would catch you off guard for how heavy they are. Theres a reason some of these tunes never left the setlist. Now with album one under their belt the band was destined to keep going and were about to unleash album 2 not even a year later...
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