This is the record that cemented KISS as a rock icon, in a lot of ways. While it would've never gotten the attention it did without the live album Alive! preceding it, its success is still truly its own. And yet, I remember essayist and cultural commentator, Chuck Klosterman, once saying that "historically, people will not remember the music of KISS; what they'll remember is the idea of KISS." That's something I've always held pretty firm to, myself, though even I'll call a good album when I see one, so I went into this album leaving my expectations at the door. What I got was a very uneven record, to say the least. When it's good, it's arena rock and anthemic hard rock at its finest. The unfortunate thing is it's not always good. In particular, there's some truly terrible ballads in "Great Expectations" and "Beth." The fact that it took "Beth" being issued as a single for the record to finally start selling and eventually going platinum is so odd to me, especially since this is KISS, for god's sake, hard rock icons, not light rock staples. The fortunate thing is that there's nothing else quite as bad as those two songs on the rest of the record, and while I might have some qualms about the more repetitive tracks like "Flaming Youth" and "Shout It Out Loud," these tracks still have a good energy to them. Meanwhile, the highlights of the record really shoot for the stars. As far as album openers, "Detroit Rock City" probably ranks among one of the best, and it easily stands out as the best thing I've ever heard KISS produce. Meanwhile, tracks like "God of Thunder" really reach for some real ambitious arena rock, moreso than one would expect from a band like KISS. In short, this is an album where the highs are absolutely fantastic while the lows are almost unlistenable. I'm conflicted, in that regard. But of course, at the end of the day, this is KISS. What you're here for isn't the music, it's the idea.
Rating: 2.5/5
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