Creatures of the Night Review by Gary Hill I remember when this disc came out I was purely blown away by it. Kiss had never rocked this hard and the album was extremely strong. More...
Music From The Elder Review by Gary Hill When it was recorded in 1981, this album was to have been a masterwork of epic proportions. A concept album with serious prog leanings, early preview copies of the album received poor reviews. More...
Psycho Circus Review by Gary Hill The first studio album from the reunited classic Kiss lineup, Psycho Circus is a respectable and entertaining release that seems to strive to combine the older Kiss sound with newer leanings.
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I reviewed the song “Calling Dr. Love” on the review of the Kiss Klassics disc of Sonic Boom, so, for the sake of consistency, I’ll adapt that review for use here.
Sonic Boom Review by Gary Hill Sonic Boom is the latest album from Kiss. More...
Symphony:Alive IV Review by Patrick Hennen This is the fourth installment of the Kiss Alive series. The first Alive, which was recorded in Detroit Michigan takes us back to 1975.
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DVD Reviews
Kiss - Kiss Loves You DVD Review by Gary Hill Let me say first off, I’ve got this listed under Kiss, but in a real sense it isn’t a Kiss release. It’s just that this is such a cool DVD that we need to cover it and since MSJ is organized (at least the archives) by musician name, that’s where this belongs.
Kiss was the band that got me into music on a serious level.From the first time I laid eyes on the Kiss Alive! record cover, I was hooked and I couldn’t get enough of the visuals.
Kiss has had a few different eras so this second volume focuses on a part of their career that was successful but not quite the heights achieved back in their heyday.
This is the last of the Kissology series even though there was a Volume 4 rumored that has not materialized yet.This one covers a few eras, which makes it a weird one that is still very enjoyable.
Kiss have released so many concert videos that you have to be a true aficionado of the group to really get a handle on what you may have and what is a new.
I have been a Kiss fan since 1975, but at the time I was too young to go to concerts to see the band.Instead, I had to enjoy the group through pictures and the occasional TV appearance.
Kiss - Live In Rockford, IL, 2000 Review by Gary Hill This tour is being billed as the "Farewell Tour". Consider this reviewer a bit skeptical about whether or not the band will actually retire. However, they really are putting their all into the performance this time out.
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Black 'N Blue - Benefit for Annette Holmes in Portland, Oregon June 2018 Review by Larry Toering Pete Holmes of Black ‘N Blue has been through it all, including stints with artists like Michael Schenker and Ian Gillan, and now drumming for Ratt since this benefit (for his wife Annette who has cancer and is now in remission). More...
Doro - Calling the Wild Review by Gary Hill In the 1980’s Doro Pesch fronted the German metal band Warlock. That band is no more, but Doro has kept her career and love of metal alive through the years. This new disc is her first release in the US in many years, but she has continued releasing albums in Europe the entire time.
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Graham Bonnet - Flying...Not Falling 1991-1999 Review by Gary Hill This new three-disc set from Graham Bonnet is pretty darned good. I've included it under metal because two of the three discs here fit there.
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I’ve always heard of this band, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard them before. To me, they look and sound quite a bit like vintage Motley Crue.
Union - Live in Chicago- April, 2000 Review by Gary Hill Union delivered a scorching set to the enthusiastic crowd at Chicago's House Of Blues. The band came out and showed that they were a band that really can deliver live what they promise in the studio.
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Paul Stanley - Live To Win Review by Greg Olma If you are a male and a Kiss fan, I think I can say with some degree of confidence that your favorite member of Kiss was either Gene or Ace. Gene blew fire and spit blood which made all of us think he was super cool. Ace was cool just because he seemed the most rock ‘n’ roll.
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Various Artists - Mullets Rock Too Review by Gary Hill It's a safe bet you've heard every song on this disc – although you might not have heard the Ace Frehley track as performed by him. That doesn't mean this set isn't enjoyable.
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This is the first time I get to review a DVD of a show that I actually attended.Back in 2006, Paul Stanley went out on a solo tour to promote the Live To Win record.
Union - The Blue Room Review by Brian Angotti The Blue Room, the follow up album from Union, is an exceptional piece of work. This album shows the growth and maturity in the band, both musically and lyrically.
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