KISS MONSTER IN NOISECREEP'S BEST METAL ALBUMS OF 2012

"There were some terrific metal/hard rock releases this year but my pick of the litter is KISS' Monster. Forget the makeup and still stellar stage show - this is about the music and these four guys brought it big time this year. Monster is a nice big slab of metallic hard rock created by a band that could easily kick back and ride the wave of their legacy into the sunset, but instead chooses to crunch and grind, still more than able to craft killer riffs with fire and brimstone lyrical hooks. "Wall of Sound," "Back to the Stone Age" and "Shout Mercy" (among others) harken back to the Love Gun era without feeling at all stale. In fact, these guys seem more inspired than ever, a testament to the blue-collar work ethic that has always defined this band for many of us."

Chosen by Chris Epting


Thanks to Mark Cicchini for sending to KISSOnline!

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Here is the new issue of the German "Metal Attack" with Paul on the cover! There are two pages and a giant poster of KISS in this magazine!

Greetings,
Peter Dammeyer

LETTERS

A House Divided will Still Rock!

Echoing their famous series of 1978 solo albums, this March, legendary rockers KISS take to solo adventures in a new miniseries from IDW Publishing! Further exploring the deep mythology that’s made the Kings of Rock hold dual citizenship as Kings of Comics, this year, The-Four-Who-Are-One must take up arms alone against a slew of dynamic enemies and evil forces.

Spread out across four dimension-shattering issues, this face-melting slew of hard-rocking comics tectonics kicks off with KISS SOLO: THE DEMON, a tale starringGene Simmons’ classic alter ego, The Demon! Veteran KISS writer Chris Ryalland fan-favorite Kiss artist Angel Medina, rejoining the band for the first time sinceKiss: Psycho Circus, weave another tale of epic bombast and explosive rock and paving the way for the accompanying tales of the Starchild, the Celestial, and the Catman!

“We’ve turned KISS into gangsters, barbarians and teenage girls so far in our KISS comics,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer, “but now it’s time to give everyone the unfettered KISS over these four issues. Issue one sees the Demon taking on none other than the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and no one draws widescreen apocalyptic action better than Angel Medina. It’s a thrill to have Angel back in the KISS fold.”

In addition to providing full art on issue one, Medina is on board for covers for all four parts of the solo series. To further give longtime fans a bit more, each issue’s storyline and title is culled from the original solo album songs, such as issue one’s “Radioactive.”

Continuing a comics partnership as fruitful as it is sonically booming, the solo series is a must-have for comics fans and members of the KISS Army. After all, rocking ‘n’ rolling all night and reading comics every day sounds like a pretty solid plan, doesn’t it?

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Look what I spotted on a recent visit to a clothing shop in Barcelona, Spain.

KISS Rules!!!!

Javier Rueda and Family

LETTERS

STAND UP AND BE COUNTED!

You Can Help Make A Difference...

CLICK HERE to donate now to Sandy Relief fund.

Robin Hood has launched a large-scale relief effort to aid our neighbors in the tri-state area whose lives have been shattered by Hurricane Sandy. Within hours of the storm, Robin Hood- funded non-profits were providing blankets, hot food, heaters, generators and more to residents in Red Hook, Coney Island, the Rockaways and all across the region. Now, one month out from the storm, thanks to our supporters, Robin Hood has been able to provide over $14.7 million in grants to more than 140 different groups.

We are now moving into phase two of our recovery effort, providing for the long-term needs created by the storm including: housing, job-training, legal counseling and more. The need is great. Please contribute generously, and know that every cent of every dollar you donate will go the best community organizations that are working to help those whose lives have been torn apart.

Thanks to Andy, Jeff, and Adri for putting together a Wounded Warriors raffle and raising $6026.82 at the KISS Kruiser party in Miami!

Today, in the Blick newspaper... A big picture for the future KISS concert in Zurich (20 June 2013)!

Thanks,
Jenny Jeanmonod

LETTERS

Interview from KISS: MONSTER - The Official Album and Tour Magazine #2

"Destroyer" producer Bob Ezrin flashes back to the darkest horse in the KISS catalog.

Ah, the concept album ... the ambitious extension of every pop artist who gets tired of his job and dreams of a bigger fish. In the 70s, as music and mass media leaned toward bloat with bands like Queen, The Who and Pink Floyd conquering the charts and grand-scale cinema like Stars Wars owning the box-office, KISS decided to give the rock and roll pulp that made their name a rest and pursue loftier creative heights.

The result their semi-delusional dream was 1981's The Elder, a baroque, full blown concept platter charting the story of a Luke Skywalker-esque boy who is called upon to battle the evil Mr. Blackwell and restore order and balance to the land. The album was the work of legendary producer Destroyer (and Destroyer: Resurrected), Bob Ezrin, who at that time, had worked with Pink Floyd in its double-disc rock opera juggernaut The Wall.

Both Ezrin and the band (well, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley anyway) were convinced that The Elder would be the record that would forge their new and "mature" path, a bounce back after their lightweight pop fluff 1980's Unmasked. KISS trimmed their hair, stripped down costumes, and the cover was the first in their history not to feature the freak four, however, was an abstract image Stanley's hand on the cusp of banging a baroque door-knocker.

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Excerpted from a story by Joe Berkowitz

In her new series "No Politics. Just a Joke," artist Victoria Tsarkova blends political and religious icons with cultural figures, with wonderfully strange results.

The one pictured is 'Queen Gene Simmons'.

Happy Birthday to our good friend, Bruce Kulick, who is celebrating his birthday today on 12/12/12! Bruce, we hope you have a fantastic day!

Here's a great guitar solo from Bruce rocking Detroit in 1985!

Now that the KISS MONSTER Official Album and Tour Magazine #2 is officially SOLD OUT, we will be posting a few interviews from the issue!

DOC OF ROCK

Behind every great enterprise is a pop culture carefully sculpted mechanism, driven by ideas and dedication to create art that is commercial, which transcends trends, and endures. With KISS today, that engine business is a cosmic cocktail consisting of three driving personalities: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and KISS manager Doc McGhee.

McGhee is a legend in his own right, and was so long before lock he locked his legacy with KISS. The bands summer tour with the band Mötley Crüe was an obvious no-brainer for the decades- spanning maverick as Crüe remains one of McGhee's non-KISS live draws ever since he gave the band their first big break opening for KISS on the tour Creatures of the Night. We spoke to McGhee smack dab in the middle of the thundering double shot of KISS / Crüe.

KISS MAGAZINE: Can you tell us how you ended up in this mad game of rock 'n' roll management?

Doc McGhee: I was a guitarist in a band of Chicago when I was in high school. I mean, I already had a contract with Mercury Records when she was only 17! Then I called in the army and continued playing, and when I left, I went to Florida, became a waiter and at night I would play in a recording studio. As far as being a manager, people thought I was smart, I guess, or smarter than them at that time, so as I kinda fell into it. I started working with a producer named Barry Mraz, who made ​​the first Styx record, Robin Trower ... the list is long. One of the bands that he handled was one that I played in called Night Flight, and it just took off from there. I stayed in the R&B business a the beginning managing James Brown and Isaac Hayes. Then I met Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi and all these rock bands.

KISS,

My name is Dr. Terry Traster, I'm a pharmacist in a small town in Illinois and I do charities and benefits with my Gene Simmons "Destroyer" costume. I have done benefits for individuals who are stricken with diseases and are having hard times paying their bills, charities to raise money to try to find cures for cancers, annual street festivals and many more. The response from people when they see somebody who looks like a member of the HOTTEST band in the world is invigorating! Everybody wants to take their picture with me and it puts a smile, but sometimes a scared look on peoples' faces.

I met KISS at the meet and greet in St. Louis this year and told Gene what I did and framed the conversation to let him know when the media is kicking him when he is down there is somebody out there that is spreading the good word of KISS and how much good they do like how much they support the Wounded Warriors Foundation. Gene asked me to write this and told me "If you inspire just one person, you have made a difference."

I am writing this as a challenge to all the members of the KISS Army that can afford one, BUY A COSTUME AND DO WHAT I DO! A couple of years ago I was asked by The Salvation Army Toys For Tots to do their benefit to buy Christmas presents for kids that otherwise wouldn't get any. The best Christmas present I ever gave or received was knowing that just by putting on my costume and showing up to this benefit I was going to help children get Christmas presents. Every year I do a free street festival in the beginning of August. There are a fair number of physically and mentally challenged people at this festival and when they ask to take their picture with me and I see how much joy I have brought to them and then their caregiver tells me "You have no idea what this means to them, their favorite band is KISS." it makes the money I spent on the costume and the time to put on the make-up seem completely insignificant.

I first wanted my costume in order to have the best Halloween costume possible, which it is. Then I was asked to do my first charity and the satisfaction I got from that was way more than I ever could have dreamed of. From there it has snowballed into something that gives me great pleasure and brings a lot of good to a lot of people and charities.

It's Christmas time now and it's the time for giving. Think about how much joy and pleasure KISS has brought to you or maybe somebody you know. Think about buying yourself a costume or somebody you know that would pay the good deed forward a costume . I have done a lot with my costume and you can too. Let's make 2013 the year the KISS ARMY goes into our local communities and spreads the good of the band that has done so much for us. Buy a costume and let the charities in your community know you are interested in donating your time to their causes. I guarantee you won't regret it!

Terry Traster

LETTERS

KISS!

I am a 46 year-old KISS Army fan who loves Harley-Davidsons. Here's my custom Harley Bike painted with KISS airbrushing. What an awesome idea when I had my 2006 V_ROD Night Special custom air brushed!

Long live the Coolest Harley and the greatest band KISS!

Mike Abbott

LETTERS

KISS IS EVERYWHERE!

Check out the Hello Kitty KISS car at the Auto GP 2012 in Valencia, Spain.

Photo by Paco Verdeguer.

Check out these great fan-taken live photos from KISS' recent South American Monster Tour. These are some of the many photos sent into the KISSOnline letters page by the South American KISS Army. Thanks for sharing them with us!