Rustyn Rose | Examiner

Kiss is undeniably one of the most polarizing bands in rock history. From their outrageous makeup and stage shows, to bassist Gene Simmons massive ego and gratuitous fiscal gluttony, the music is often overlooked. However, Kiss as a whole has inspired innumerable bands, many of whom have gone on to stellar careers. Unlike Kiss, several have even found their name in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Kiss remains, nearly 40 years into its career, a dynamic band which has made a unique impact in the world of rock music, for better or worse. This October, Kiss will release its twenty-fourth studio, “Monster“. In honor of that, the Examiner has ranked all 23 of the band’s studio albums.

The masked crusaders have often been known more for the spectacle of their live performances and make-up, so it is no surprise that the band’s best album of all time remains, “Kiss Alive!”. Still, when the paint and bombast are stripped away, the music still stands on its own as many discovered when the band went unplugged back in the 90s. This list below focuses solely on the studio albums, and the music that Simmons, and co-founder Paul Stanley have created through four decades.

Love Gun (1977) — This represents the last of the band’s classic 70s albums before disco and new wave twisted rock ‘n roll into another dimension.”Love Gun” is also the first album to feature all four members singing at least one song. Legend holds that guitarist Ace Frehley had to lie on the studio floor to sing “Shock Me”.

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David Von Bader | New Times

Kiss, the band, garners fanatical, obsessive devotion more than almost any other musical act, maybe ever. Despite countless attempts to ruin the fun with bad glam albums, dramatic reality television, and the replacement of two original members with impostors wearing the same makeup, Kiss still manages to maintain a fan base large enough to be called an army without even a hint of irony.

To better understand the Kult of Kiss, we asked bona fide Kiss superfan, Miami ex-pat, and former Torche and current MonstrO guitarist Juan Montoya to describe his fixation. A high-ranking member of the Kiss Army, Montoya offers us his Kisstory.

New Times: How did you get into Kiss initially?

Juan Montoya: I actually saw a poster of them when I was living in Venezuela. We were in the downtown area shopping, and I walked by a store, and they had a giant Kiss poster, and it’s funny because I remember the image vividly. I usually don’t remember, like, two days back in my adult life, and I don’t even remember most of the ’90s, but I do remember this actual picture from when I was a kid!

So, I saw Kiss back then, but I didn’t hear them until I got back up to the United States. My mom had a friend with a 16-year-old son, and I was 7 years old. And I went through his record collection. Of course, the minute I saw a Kiss record, I was like, “Holy shit! Those are the people that I saw in that picture! Those are the freaks that I saw in that picture!”

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