It easy to see how Tommy Thayer ended up in Kiss. Mr. Simmons had his finger in the Black N Blue pie producing this and Nasty Nasty.
This was the last of the eighties releases as the band broke up in ’89, which is really astounding as this album is a really good rockin’ record – I guess the record label just gave up on them. No groundbreaking left turn experimental tracks here, it’s all by the book simple melodic rockers that do what they are supposed to. This is what I call a Friday night record that gets you in the mood before heading out.
Heat It Up Burn It Out is a killer tune with a great hook and chorus. The Snake (which closes out Side 1) has that big stomp beat with a great riff and sing-a-long chorus. Give Rise To The Rise and Great Guns Of Fire are both also great tunes. This album has Simmons written all over it though, and nearly all of these songs could have been on any Kiss album after Lick It Up. It’s a fun album with a great huge production.
8.5/10 from The Grooveman.
