I’ll admit to not being the biggest Kiss fan in the world. I always thought the make up and fireworks just took away from the fact that they wrote very average songs, and it was the image that drove them along. I was told that Creatures Of The Night was to be the first album without make up, but with the title and the image, it was to be put back for one album. The arrival of Vinnie Vincent sure gave them a kick up the ass, but when his weirdness was even too much for Gene and Paul, in came Mark St. John for the recording of this album.
This, and Lick It Up, are my favourite Kiss albums. I think they have the best songs and the best playing. It’s no coincidence that the band brought in outside writers at this point, as they knew they needed that extra shove without the costumes. The big single from the album is Heavens On Fire, and Gene is still as classy as ever with his contribution of Burn Bitch Burn with the immortal line of “Ooh baby I want to put my log in your fireplace”.
Musically, it’s a cut above usual Kiss fodder, and Under The Gun is my go to track. Just to emphasize that it’s all about the cash with these guys, I don’t think they have recorded any new material since 2012 and they are still doing the forever farewell tour.
8/10 from The Grooveman.
