Review Summary: Without doubt the heaviest album Kiss has released; a true hard rock gem.
By the year 1982, Kiss had really lost most of their appeal; after going disco then pop on
Dynasty and
Unmasked consecutively, they promised fans an album going back to their hard rock roots. Instead, they got the steaming pile of 'wtf' in the "soundtrack"
Music from The Elder. Sure, it had some decent songs here and there, but it was clear that Kiss had not, in fact, held on their promise and chose to alienate even more of the fans that were probably holding out hope for another
Destroyer, or at the very least, a fun rock and roll album like their self titled. Couple all of this with the fact that Peter and Ace left the band, who expected much from a little old album called
Creatures of the Night, where the guys had the gall to have Ace on the cover, still. Well, anyone that held out hope and got this album should certainly thank themselevs and agree on one thing: it's among the best material Kiss has ever released.
When Kiss said they were finally going to go back to their hard rock roots, it's possible they even shocked themselves when they listened to this album. Not only is it their heaviest album to date, it's easily their most consistent, as well. From the very start, the pounding drums of new drummer Eric Carr indicate that the album is all that Kiss promised their fans, and then some. It becomes apparent right from the get go that one of the main reasons for this is the aforementioned Carr, Bonham-esque in his playing style and more drummer than Peter Criss could ever hope to be. This is all not to say that the only reason the album is so heavy is because of Carr, however; rather, Kiss managed to make every instrument shine, a great indication that the album was not just a cash grab, but a genuine heavy metal album meant to get Kiss back to their glory days. Given the darker nature of the album, with the pounding of the drums, the powerful bass lines that Gene sometimes lays down, and the lyrical content, the album seems far less Kiss-like, as well.
Rather than just settling for sex, sex, and more sex, the guys seem to actually put forth some effort in writing their songs.
Rock and Roll Hell sees Gene, in a dark, sinister and raspy vocal performance, singing about ex-guitarist Ace Frehley and the issues he had while both a member and non-member of Kiss. While some may see this as a cheap shot, given that Ace was at this point out of Kiss, the song actually just sounds like a melancholy tribute, given the lyrics, the heavy bass lines, and the dark, yet simple, guitar riff scattered throughout. Keeping with the tone of the previous tracks, though not lyrically fantastic, is the new ballad
I Still Love You, which maintains the heaviness despite slowing things down, in part because of those drums, that sound like they were recorded in an elevator shaft, and the very heavy bass, actually played by Carr himself. Sure, the lead guitar is nothing special in this case, but that really isn't the focus anyway. Anyone that may have doubted Paul Stanley in the vocal department before this album could not leave feeling the same way; his voice is truly the high point of the track, and even though the lyrics are sub-par, the dark atmosphere coupled with the phenomenal vocals by Stanley make this a stand out track not only on the album, but in Kiss' entire discography.
Among some of the other standouts are the concert staple
War Machine, the hard rocker
Killer, and the little known, high energy track
Danger. The former, which takes listeners back to the
God of Thunder days, has a monster main riff, thudding drums, and solid vocals, which seem to fit nicely with the overly macho lyrics that match well with Gene's oversized ego. The second standout,
Killer, boasts one of the best main riffs Kiss has recorded, especially impressive since the list of guest guitarists in this album is staggering. Further, the chorus is among the catchiest the band has recorded, making this a bona-fide heavy metal song made for the radio. Finally, the latter, the little known song
Danger, sees the group setting the darker nature of the album aside for a nice, poppier song that's still heavier than most songs they'd released prior to 1982. Stanley hits some pretty high notes in the chorus, which may turn some listeners off, as it's significantly less heavy metal than the rest of the album, but it's so catchy that they should be forgiven for lightening the mood midway through the album.
As a whole,
Creatures of the Night was exactly what Kiss fans should have wanted to hear when the band said they said the hard rock was coming back. The thudding drums, courtesy of Eric Carr, the best drummer Kiss ever had, the very solid bass lines, and some monster riffs make this a hard rock album that is hard to dislike even if one isn't predominantly a Kiss fan. Lyrically and musically speaking, the album is far darker and more atmospheric than the band had every released, and really should have been more of a commercial success than it was. This was the one album where it seems the guys, guests included, were all in sync and genuinely wanted to create an album that could stand the test of time as a hard rock classic. For any fan of the band or hard rock, in general, the album succeeds in spades and really should be remembered for how consistent, heavy, and un-gimmicky it really is. For a fan of Kiss or hard rock, this album is very highly recommended.
Album Highlights
Killer
Danger
I Still Love You
War Machine
Rock and Roll Hell
