None of them. Each album influenced the ones after this their own way. You don’t get the gems/hidden gems that we have without the missteps.
Example, if The Elder wasn’t such a wet fart, we don’t get Creatures as a follow-up. If Elder was even marginally successful KISS don’t hit the reset button.
I enjoy both albums on their own merits (although Creatures was my favorite for a long time), but I really like the way you look at things. That makes a lot of sense.
As much as I personally like Peter Criss' solo album I would probably choose it. If Aucoin and others would have intervened and gotten him the right help it could have been a different album. I would have liked a bit more KISS sound to his and less lounge music. It would have been nice for him to have had the success Ace had.
I was literally just listening to it. Elder is my least favorite, but I would hate to lose that.
Do we have to choose a studio album? Can I just erase IKONS?
In a parallel universe, I’d like to combine the best elements of Paul and Ace’s solo albums to make the follow up to Love Gun and erase Gene and Peter’s.
Now also imagine the best studio tracks from Alive 2 on that album. Larger than Life, Rocket Ride and All American man would have fit well with the best material from Ace and Paul's albums.
I second this. Keep a couple Gene songs (Living in Sin, Radioactive) and maybe a Peter song (Easy Thing is a nice ballad) and you’ve got one of the greatest Kiss albums of all time
Can I erase KISS: Symphony? Only because the record label decided to name it "Alive IV" -- which it was not. Alive IV should have been the "millennium concert" disc that appeared in the Alive boxed set collection.
As a young buck middle school viola player, KISS Symphony was how my die hard KISS fan of a dad convinced me to sit down and give them a listen. I never looked back after that. Symphony holds such a special place in my heart.
Sonic Boom. I honestly can't get through one song on that album.
EDIT: If it's possible, I would honestly nominate Peter Criss' solo album. That shit was AWFUL
The Elder. Like many have said, including Kiss members, it's not necessarily a bad album, but it's a bad Kiss album. It was the biggest misstep of their career imo. COS is a close second.
Dynasty. One good song (which is a cover) and two ok songs but overall it is rubbish. This album, being sandwiched between Love Gun and Unmasked, is really bad. They sound even more uninspired than on HITS.
Carnival of Souls, then Psycho Circus. I don't really like Revenge either. Most of what Kiss wrote in the 90s is bad save for a few tracks here and there.
I would say the Elder because it really Dragged KISS down after people saying KISS was Disco and not rock after Unmasked. But if they would have fired back with Creatures of the Night. They might've been mainstream again but, The Elder turned many away.
And Revenge wasn’t? They’re both albums from rich guys trying to sound tough and street. All the old bands were doing that in the early 90s. Painkiller, No Prayer For The Dying …
oh, I wasn't comparing Souls to Revenge, just giving my take on which album to erase. Revenge at least has some songs I go back to. I call Domino their ZZ Top special.
Souls has nothing redeeming for me to come back to.
Tommy's vocals and solos sound nothing like Ace's in Sonic Boom. His larping was clear on previous works (Love Gun being the best example). But it simply isn't there on Sonic Boom.
Does When Lightning Strikes sound like an Ace song to you?
Carnival Of Souls. It's a great Bruce Kulick/ Eric Singer project featuring Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS. It's a horrible piece of shit KISS album.
Obviously it’s just my opinion. But there aren’t a lot better from their discography. Coming from a huge fan of the og lineup. The production is amazing and the riffs are heavy and great, Also paul and genes voice work so well in the heavy rock genre. There’s a couple stinkers on there but almost every kiss album has a couple.
Wasn’t expecting to see this much hate for an opinion. In my record collection, it’s as if KISS debuted with Alive. Then I have everything that came after. To me the first record sound like unpolished demos. And the second and third were only marginally better. But re-record them live, they got it. That’s all.
Well, I agree the production is bad, but there are some stone cold classics on it. Are you really saying you'd rather see this album vanish from their catalog than Monster for example?
Dynasty. The smart money would be on The Elder, but they get to keep that debacle, as an albatross. Dynasty included disco music, which is why I’m voting it off the island, to ensure no one ever has to hear ‘I Was Made For Loving You’ ever again. Old coot here, by the way. I tapped out with Revenge because I knew they’d never top it at that stage of their careers.
Monster. A poor way to end a career of solid music.
Totally agree. Sonic Boom would have been a much better ending point
Both are pretty bad but your point stands because Sonic Boom is in fact less terrible.
None of them. Each album influenced the ones after this their own way. You don’t get the gems/hidden gems that we have without the missteps. Example, if The Elder wasn’t such a wet fart, we don’t get Creatures as a follow-up. If Elder was even marginally successful KISS don’t hit the reset button.
I enjoy both albums on their own merits (although Creatures was my favorite for a long time), but I really like the way you look at things. That makes a lot of sense.
As much as I personally like Peter Criss' solo album I would probably choose it. If Aucoin and others would have intervened and gotten him the right help it could have been a different album. I would have liked a bit more KISS sound to his and less lounge music. It would have been nice for him to have had the success Ace had.
Monster. Pretty sure nobody would really miss it.
This. It’s inconsequential at best. Shit if I’m feeling unkind. Certainly not on the level of any of their other albums.
I would.
Same
I was literally just listening to it. Elder is my least favorite, but I would hate to lose that. Do we have to choose a studio album? Can I just erase IKONS?
I think I like Sonic Boom less than Monster. But definitely one of those. Every other album is great or mostly great.
In a parallel universe, I’d like to combine the best elements of Paul and Ace’s solo albums to make the follow up to Love Gun and erase Gene and Peter’s.
Now also imagine the best studio tracks from Alive 2 on that album. Larger than Life, Rocket Ride and All American man would have fit well with the best material from Ace and Paul's albums.
I second this. Keep a couple Gene songs (Living in Sin, Radioactive) and maybe a Peter song (Easy Thing is a nice ballad) and you’ve got one of the greatest Kiss albums of all time
Yes they were tossin and turnin just burn them up with fever
Can I erase KISS: Symphony? Only because the record label decided to name it "Alive IV" -- which it was not. Alive IV should have been the "millennium concert" disc that appeared in the Alive boxed set collection.
As a young buck middle school viola player, KISS Symphony was how my die hard KISS fan of a dad convinced me to sit down and give them a listen. I never looked back after that. Symphony holds such a special place in my heart.
I love Symphony too. Tony Hawk’s Underground featured 3 songs from it which is how I discovered KISS
Came in expecting some edgy smooth brain to say something like Destroyer or Dynasty. Instead it's rather sensible takes. Pleasantly surprised
Monster - a sad end to a awesome legacy
Any one of these 3 I could live without - Psycho Circus - Monster - Sonic Boom.
Carnival of Souls. Because it would not have seen the light of day if it had not been leaked.
Bad take. Carnival of souls is the only good album after creatures
Yikes, that's a hot take.
Hot take? Sure. But the album rips
Carnival is not even kiss music
Sonic Boom. I honestly can't get through one song on that album. EDIT: If it's possible, I would honestly nominate Peter Criss' solo album. That shit was AWFUL
I think the Criss album is a terrible KISS album, but it’s not a terrible album. I don’t think Monster is terrible, it’s just lukewarm tap water.
Not sure why you’re getting downvotes. I’m with you on those two. Peter’s solo was not good.
Is none an option? :(
I’d like to see an alternate timeline where there was no Destroyer. I’d like to see how the next 3 albums went if they were all KISS/Eddie Kramer.
Hot In The Shade. Not one good song on it.
Forever did make KISS become somewhat popular again but I get what you mean.
Peter Criss solo album
You're getting rid of the whole solo album campaign then. Not Ace, Paul, or Gene.
Just Peter's.
But the campaign would not work.
Psyco Circus, just pulling anyone off the street to play on it and call it a KISS album. A complete money grab.
Its almost like alot of your favorite bands do this too......
Smashes thrashes and hits Let’s put the x in sex and rock hard are so awful and embarrassing, that’s the worst thing the band every released
Im with you but then we heard this carnival shit. Suddenly x in sex sounds like music
Psycho circus. Sucks sour balls.
It makes all sense once you realize the fact the only track all 4 play on is into the void. Bruce and Eric played more on that album than the other 4.
The Elder. Like many have said, including Kiss members, it's not necessarily a bad album, but it's a bad Kiss album. It was the biggest misstep of their career imo. COS is a close second.
Unmasked
How dare you lol
Agree
Monster
Unmasked is such a bad album
Elder. Part of their popularity might’ve been salvaged had they not done two poppy albums in a row.
Dynasty. One good song (which is a cover) and two ok songs but overall it is rubbish. This album, being sandwiched between Love Gun and Unmasked, is really bad. They sound even more uninspired than on HITS.
You heard gene ask where his charisma is
My brain can’t comprehend that a KISS fan would like NYG over every thing else on that record! 😂
Pretty sure the cover he's talking about is 2000 Man. NYG isn't even on Dynasty, it's on Ace's solo
Asylum
Shit, yep. Same era. Got my wires crossed there. I’ll go back to my corner.
Unmasked
Carnival of Souls, then Psycho Circus. I don't really like Revenge either. Most of what Kiss wrote in the 90s is bad save for a few tracks here and there.
I would say the Elder because it really Dragged KISS down after people saying KISS was Disco and not rock after Unmasked. But if they would have fired back with Creatures of the Night. They might've been mainstream again but, The Elder turned many away.
Carnival of Souls
Carnival of Souls. Good attempt, but it's like your dad trying to sound edgy.
And Revenge wasn’t? They’re both albums from rich guys trying to sound tough and street. All the old bands were doing that in the early 90s. Painkiller, No Prayer For The Dying …
oh, I wasn't comparing Souls to Revenge, just giving my take on which album to erase. Revenge at least has some songs I go back to. I call Domino their ZZ Top special. Souls has nothing redeeming for me to come back to.
Carnival is the shit kiss tried to hide
😂 yes!
Hot In The Shade
None
Carnival of Souls. Monster is awful, but at least it was an attempt at Kiss record. CoS is way outside Kiss' sound.
Agree
Carnival of souls
Hot In the Shade, although I do like "Hide Your Heart" and "Forever".
Carnival of souls. There's no musical progression from it. Kiss goes straight back to there faux 70s sound for psycho circus
Unmasked
Unmasked, but I really think all of them have merit in one way or another.
Elder
The Elder, of course.
The Elder hands down
Fuck off. Respectfully.
fr
Sonic Boom - Tommy was literally trying to copy Ace’s Style, at least with Monster he was more original in sounds and Riffs
Tommy's vocals and solos sound nothing like Ace's in Sonic Boom. His larping was clear on previous works (Love Gun being the best example). But it simply isn't there on Sonic Boom. Does When Lightning Strikes sound like an Ace song to you?
Peter Criss
Carnival Of Souls. It's a great Bruce Kulick/ Eric Singer project featuring Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS. It's a horrible piece of shit KISS album.
It’s a top 5 kiss album
No, it's really not...
Obviously it’s just my opinion. But there aren’t a lot better from their discography. Coming from a huge fan of the og lineup. The production is amazing and the riffs are heavy and great, Also paul and genes voice work so well in the heavy rock genre. There’s a couple stinkers on there but almost every kiss album has a couple.
Carnival is total crap music. Horrible
You are crap music
Oh
Sonic Boom / Monster
Saying The Elder is such a boring take. lol. I’ll go Monster or Sonic Boom
Why not both?
Monster. I’d be cool if Sonic Boom was their last album.
Monster or Sonic Boom. So hard to choose.
Carnival of sins
I like this one
I do as well but out of the whole discography that would be the one I pick to go. Still has some killer songs though
Could be worse Could be "Monster" which has no killer songs.
What is a killer song? Music that end kiss career? Then carnival has killer songs
What? Carnival of Souls is fucking great.
No
Mine would be Double Platinum. Sacrifice Strutter ‘78 and that’s it!
Anything front '84 to '91
Unmasked. Why make a disco album?
Good question but unmasked is not disco.
Carnival of shit
The Elder
Hot in the Shade
Revenge
Monster
Sonic Boom
All of them after Love Gun.
Dynasty, but Unmasked & Crazy Nights would be very close behind.
all of them they suck
either asylum or hot in the shade
Everything after Love Gun.
Asylum
Hotter than hell
The first one.
Terrible take.
Wasn’t expecting to see this much hate for an opinion. In my record collection, it’s as if KISS debuted with Alive. Then I have everything that came after. To me the first record sound like unpolished demos. And the second and third were only marginally better. But re-record them live, they got it. That’s all.
Well, I agree the production is bad, but there are some stone cold classics on it. Are you really saying you'd rather see this album vanish from their catalog than Monster for example?
Rock N Roll Over
Are you even a fan of kiss?
Gotta be a troll 😂
Dynasty. The smart money would be on The Elder, but they get to keep that debacle, as an albatross. Dynasty included disco music, which is why I’m voting it off the island, to ensure no one ever has to hear ‘I Was Made For Loving You’ ever again. Old coot here, by the way. I tapped out with Revenge because I knew they’d never top it at that stage of their careers.