New KISS Album Coming This Year?
January 28, 2011
by Gregory Burkart


During this month's NAMM convention (think of it as Comic-Con for music-tech junkies), music site Backstageaxxess.com interviewed KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer, who revealed that the band would be returning to the studio in the next few months to record the follow-up to their hugely successful 2009 comeback album Sonic Boom.





In the interview on the Backstageaxxess home page, Thayer started out talking about his sweet indigo blue glowing signature Duotone amplifier (the royalties from which are going to the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles), and mentioned that he'd be taking the rig into the studio soon.



That led to the obvious next question: is it a KISS project? If it is, when is it going to happen?

“We're going in the studio again in the next month or two,” Thayer revealed. “We're starting to work on writing some songs now.”



He also said that the band would be following a similar creative path as Sonic Boom, which he described as a very positive experience. The plan is to “keep it all in the band in terms of the writing, with no agenda whatsoever besides just making and writing great rock 'n' roll songs that we love.”




Paul Stanley will apparently step into the producer role again:

“It worked so well last time,” Tommy said, “and he knows more what a KISS record should sound like than anybody... he's going to lead the charge.”





Thayer didn't know the timeline for the writing and recording process yet, but he did say that the band would probably be heading to the studio by March, and that the album would likely be released this year.

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b21568_new_kiss_album_coming_this_year.html

I hope it is a September release just like the good ol days. If KISS releases a studio album I will buy it :wave:

I hope it is a September release just like the good ol days. If KISS releases a studio album I will buy it :wave:

I will buy pretty much anything that KISS (or its members) release.

Gene Simmons on Original KISS Reunion: "There Will Be One More Time When We Play Together"
Mar. 11, 2011


KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke with DJ JC Green of Alfa Rock 105.7 FM and Metal Messiah Radio's "Heavy Metal Thunder" program last night (Thursday, March 10) ahead of the band's March 12 concert at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in Hato Rey.

Excerpts from the chat follow below.





On "Sonic Boom" and its planned follow-up:

The best thing about 'Sonic Boom' is that we did it honestly without worrying about it — not worrying what kind of music is popular now; we just did what we did, which was to be in KISS.

The new record, which we already started working on — we start recording in three weeks — is gonna be the next step to 'Sonic Boom'. Very similar — straight rock songs, no ballads, no keyboards, no nothing, just rock.




We have brand new songs that we've been writing. We've been writing a lot. There's a lot of very good material and that's what we're gonna record. A lot of the songs have been written by the whole band together, so no outside writers, just the band doing what it did on the first three records — writing the songs ourselves.

Once you know who you are and how you breathe — because every song is like an animal; you try to bring life to the song so it becomes real — but once you know who you are, it's easy to do, you just have to do what comes naturally, without thinking too much about it, without thinking what's popular, without thinking what a producer would do; you just do it the way you naturally do it.




We have almost all the songs written. In fact, we have too many songs; we have about 20 to 25 things that look and sound good. And we're gonna get into the studio in about three weeks, and then we start recording.


At the same time, I have to do the TV show ["Gene Simmons Family Jewels"]… I mean, it's a very busy time, but the album is gonna take precedence, that's the most important thing.












On drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer donning the "Catman" and "Spaceman" make-up, which many fans consider sacrilegious:

Because it's classic, and because the world doesn't care who's in the band. If you were a KISS a long time ago, then you know who Ace and Peter Criss are. But we play stadiums around the world who have never heard of Ace and Peter.

When you go see The Stones, you see The Stones. Nobody's even heard of Brian Jones except for very old fans.

And if you go see AC/DC or any kinds of bands that get up there, the original members is not even the point; it's who you are right now.

And you're only gonna be as good as the team that makes up the current band. If you go see KISS in a stadium some place, most of the people have never heard of Ace or Peter; they don't know who that is.












On the possibility of a reunion with Peter Criss and Ace Frehley:

There will be one more time when we play together. Sometime in the future there's going to be a last show. Sometime in the future we'll be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. There will be one more time when we do it together to honor the beginning.

But, you know, when you run a long-distance race, not everybody can run a long race. Some people are only good for the beginning of the race and they don't have the passion and the will, and the endurance.

Not everybody can run a long-distance race.

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=155182

"If you go see KISS in a stadium some place, most of the people have never heard of Ace or Peter; they don't know who that is."

Anyone worth their salt who's paying to see KISS live would know who Peter and Ace are. Have no idea why Gene would say this.

"If you go see KISS in a stadium some place, most of the people have never heard of Ace or Peter; they don't know who that is."

Anyone worth their salt who's paying to see KISS live would know who Peter and Ace are. Have no idea why Gene would say this.

I agree.

However, it does bother me when people think they are seeing Peter and Ace when it's actually Eric and Tommy.




The last time I saw KISS live was at the Rock the Nation tour in Atlantic City back in 2004.

Before the show started I overheard these 2 guys in there mid-20s talking behind me saying how excited they were to see Ace play. I had to jump in so I turned around and said that Ace Frehley isn't in KISS anymore, Tommy Thayer now wears the make-up.

That news didn't sit well with them and they actually didn't believe me until they asked other KISS fans around the arena and they all said that Ace and Peter aren't with KISS anymore.

"If you go see KISS in a stadium some place, most of the people have never heard of Ace or Peter; they don't know who that is."

Anyone worth their salt who's paying to see KISS live would know who Peter and Ace are. Have no idea why Gene would say this.

Anyone going anywhere to see KISS absolutely know who Peter Criss and Ace Frehley are.

I also have no idea why Gene would say this :confused:

"If you go see KISS in a stadium some place, most of the people have never heard of Ace or Peter; they don't know who that is."

Where?? A lower subdivision suburb of Outer Mongolia?? :confused: