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Rating:
A controversial album to review, given the various, very contrasting opinions.
It is considered one of the lowest points of their discography (already modest if we're being honest), although it is particularly considered among the most fervent fans (a group I was part of) as a very underrated album, and even one of their best works!!
Nothing could be more false, one should not confuse passion for a band with the quality of their records, because this is one of the worst records I have ever heard, pure garbage! All the songs are uninspired and poorly played, even Paul Stanley (after all, he's the one who's always tried the hardest) seems to be acting as if he's at the beach with some friends; moreover, his vocal tone is totally unsuitable for this grunge experiment (???). And to think that the band was coming from a pretty good period, after all, Revenge and MTV Unplugged (featuring Criss and Frehley) can be considered two of their best works, and the lineup of the time had a great drummer (Eric Singer) and a guitarist (Bruce Kulick) in full grace, as he had finally managed to play decently in the studio.
Let's move on to the songs. It starts with Hate and already Gene Simmons seems like a zombie, then it's Paul's turn with Rain and that attitude reminiscent of Alice In Chains, but we are on a completely different quality level. The third track perhaps offers the best song, Master & Slave, with the usual overly assertive yet useless bass of Simmons, leading into a catchy chorus, despite the ridiculous riff. Then the sense of the next three tracks is unclear: the beautiful I Will Be There sandwiched between the terrible Childhood's End and the worst song ever, that trash of Jungle, which makes you want to cut off your ears because it's so awful. After a very plagiarized beginning from Nirvana but at least listenable, In My Head confirms itself as yet another useless song on this useless record, where two former members of Back in Blue participate, including Tommy Thayer, the future Spaceman in Sonic Boom, their most recent effort (??).
It Never Goes Away is almost unreviewable, apart from some guitar parts, just like Seduction of the Innocent, where Gene once again proves how he is an unlistenable singer post-70s except for some exceptions (in studio, live he's always awful). The instrumental part of I Confess is good (especially the very dark beginning, too bad for the overly audible bass), resulting in a more or less salvageable song.
Last 2 songs: In the Mirror is the usual crap, then Bruce starts singing (he should have avoided it) and gives us the final agony with I Walk Alone.
It seems the guitarist understood everything, in fact later, as hypothesized for a long time (and for many the cause of the album's failure), he was kicked out to make way for the return of the original KISS lineup, later releasing Psycho Circus, an equally lackluster album.
I almost forgot, the album was also recorded in terrible quality, adding insult to injury.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Hate (04:34)
Hate, is what I am
Cause' underneath this heart
There beats the heart of man
You'll wear your crown
When you're lyin' 6 feet underground
Don't you think it's odd
Man was created in the image of God
All you martyrs and saviours
Go through the same door
Listen all you butchers, saints and sinners
We've all been here before
Yes, Hate is what I am
Cause' underneath this heart
There beats the heart of man
So you're lookin' for a saviour
But I'm here to tell ya
You gotta save yourself
Like a lamb to slaughter
All you ever did was follow orders
All you martyrs and saviours
Go through the same door
Listen all you butchers, saints and sinners,
We've all been here before
All you martyrs and saviours
Go through the same door
Hey listen all you butchers, saints and sinners,
We've all been here before
Hate HATE!
Yes, Hate is what I am
Cause' underneath this heart
There beats the heart of man, man
MAN!
06 Childhood's End (07:03)
I lived a life of illusion and you had your kicks
So what, there's nothing left to do
And you and your obsessions and your crucifix
As if what I thought mattered much to you
(chorus)
And you were always my friend from Childhood's End
It was forever and ever
Did you understand
It's Childhood's End
But never, the dream is over
Sunday morning in the New York Times
I read you died last night
It said you were smilin' when you blew your mind
And the note you left behind said:
You were always my friend from Childhood's End
Seems like forever and ever
Yeah, you won't have to have to pretend
It's near the end
You won't ever be a rock and roller
You were just like me, I was just like you
For eternity I'll think of you!
Yeah, you were always my friend from Childhood's End
But never, the dream is over
You were just like me
I was just like you
For eternity I'll think of you
(Repeat choruses, overlapping, fade out)
You've got something about you,
You've got something I need...
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Other reviews
By Ddapp
The album’s sound is very close to grunge, not to mention all the electronics used by the four, and perhaps this is what turned the nose of admirers.
Once the album is finished, the listener may suffer from a headache for two or three hours, curable with a good listen to “true” KISS music.
