Psycho Circus

Occupation

• Vocals, rhythm guitar: Paul Stanley
• Vocals, bass guitar: Gene Simmons
• Vocals, lead guitar: Ace Frehley
• Vocals, Drums: Peter Criss

Psycho Circus is the 18th studio album by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was in 1998 taken after the band had achieved with their reunion tour in 1996 considerable success. The LP reached in several countries in the top ten and was awarded the Gold status. However, it only contains a title which was actually recorded by the four original members of the group, namely written by Ace Frehley song Into the Void.

• 3.1 album
• 3.2 Singles

Genesis

Classification in the musical background

The previous album, Carnival of Souls While there was 1995/1996, but was not published until 1997 - five years after the previous album. Due to the reunion of the original line-up of the record company, the date of the release of the album did not appear favorable. Because the band was not to listen to Carnival of Souls in the reunited original line-up. According to behave were the reactions of the followers and the buyer. On this album, Kiss experimented with grunge and a gloomy Hardrock-/Heavy Metal Melange. The album sounds modern and song technically constructive and pursues a contemporary style concept in semi-hard mid-tempo. Both the vocal and instrumental music are generally relatively slow, lengthy, low toned and sometimes moody. Carnival of Souls was the last album the unmasked era.

Kiss were in previous decades, yet much more productive. So they still took on part two albums per year in the 1970s. The frequency slowed down in the 1980s to a one or two- year cycle and slowed down in the 1990s again further to a distance of up to five years. Are even eleven years between Psycho Circus and published in 2009 follow-up album Sonic Boom.

Formation and result

The original lineup initially broke up in 1980 by the progress of drummer Peter Criss. In 1982 lead guitarist Ace Frehley, who also left the band. In the years 1983 to 1995 were made appearances exclusively without masking. Also, the CDs were the only band without make-up. Due to an MTV Unplugged broadcast in August 1995, when the old band members Criss and Frehley appeared, the band decided to appear in both the original line and made ​​up. In 1996, therefore, the highly successful Kiss Alive / Worldwide Tour. The album Psycho Circus has so far produced in the period of joint concerts. The collaboration ended already back in 2001, when Criss left the band. He was followed by Ace Frehley in 2002 due to internal disputes.

Paul Stanley stated on the outcome of the album: " I think it is a sensational album., Psycho Circus ' I think one of our best albums, but it also contains some parts that are not as well-liked me. On the whole, I am so and with what I have helped, but very satisfied. [ ... ] I think many things have gone wrong in just the album. But I did everything that the album is not even lost the last bit of integrity. "

Gene Simmons saw it similarly: "On most of the tracks of the album can be clearly seen that the band has achieved something. I consider it one of our better discs. "

Ace Frehley was with the result, but not with the emergence of LP satisfied: " I ​​think it was a good album; what I do not, however, found quite so cool was that Peter and I do not really play on the album. I would very much like recorded all my parts themselves. "

Engineer Mike Plotnikoff commented: "The fact that Ace and Peter not even on, Psycho Circus ' play, based on a decision by Bruce [ Fairbain ]. Although Gene and Paul wanted the original members were to be heard on the album, was Bruce when he heard playing in the pre-production of the album Ace and Peter, that their style of play did not fit the kind of album that he had in mind. "

Producer Bruce Fairbain " albums are like snapshots, because they represent a certain period in the musical development of the band dar. For me, Psycho Circus ' a successful snapshot that shows you exactly on which musical level, the band at the time was located. "

Danny Goldberg, head of the record label Mercury Records, the sales of the album saw critical: " I kept Psycho Circus ' for a really good album, but it was not very successful. These are two very different worlds: On Tour, for example, you live on nostalgia. The fans want, ' listen to rock on Roll All Night, Gene Simmons spit fire and Paul see jumping around on stage. You want to be able to say they have seen Kiss. On the other hand, there are also twenty-five or thirty albums to buy from them, on which all the songs are included. In order to sell well a new disc, you need a hit; 's that easy "

Title list

Published in 1999 a "Limited Edition" of the album. She had enclosed a live CD.

Chart success

Album

The album was very successful and reached in several countries the top ten. Gained in Australia and Sweden, the LP number 1, number 2 in Canada and the USA 3rd place in Norway the album at # 4 was successful and in Germany at No. 5 in Japan after all the work still got 20th place in Austria relegated to 25th place and in Switzerland at number 30 Comparatively, the album was the 47th in the UK.

The album reached Gold status in the U.S..

Singles

There were three extractions. The opening song, Psycho Circus ' was in Sweden at # 4 in Norway in 8th place in Canada to place 10th place 22 there were in Australia and still have room 98 in the Netherlands. The other singles, We Are One 'and' You Wanted the Best ' came in any country in the top ten.

Reviews

• Heavy, or what? said in issue 9/ 1998: "On the contrary, the album is structured conceptually that you could seamlessly arrange it in the era of albums, Kiss ' to ' Love Gun '. Of course the sound is contemporary to some, but finally we are at the end of the nineties, and thus the matter is perfectly fine. "
• TV Today said in September 1998: "Your work satisfies the conditions of self-parody, but crashes after all quite well. Only he who hears the still "?
• Breakout said in issue 10/ 1998: "Sorry, but Kiss in the original make-up were always Concentrated rock'n'roll Entertainment, which, kidnapped for two hours, in which the four stood on the stage in a different world. More than two pieces of Psycho Circus ' will hardly creep on the upcoming tour in the familiar set list. Too little. "
• Metal Hammer said in issue 10/ 1998: " Kiss are on this album, but did not go as feared on the safe side: There is not just Partykracher and stadium anthems - in so far as can be, Psycho Circus ' with ' Destroyer ' Compare (1976). "
• EMP catalog said in 1998: " However that may be, to the successful impression of Psycho Circus ' this does not change. For general satisfaction try the men here do not even, hinterherzuhecheln the spirit of the 90s, but brushless their current compositions strictly tions 70s. Will say. Melodies reign, along with a healthy mix of Hollywood theatrics, heavy guitars and pop attitudes "
• Rolling Stone said in issue 10/ 1998: " The seventies revival was the last step: Finally, end with all the Weiterentwickelei and the eternal, new challenges '. [ ... ] This plate is not necessarily needed. The band, however, very much. What else has shed so much blood for a good show? "
• Music Express said in issue 10/ 1998: " The rest, however, can look forward to a very solid, mainstreamiges hard rock album on which the band, contrary to many places expressed fears on Reminiszenen to the sound aesthetics of the 70s largely dispensed with. [ ...] ( Kiss) focus on their undoubted strengths: krachige guitar riffs and anthemic choruses singing. [ ... ] In spite of the small and large weaknesses, Psycho Circus ' no disappointment, but just not a groundbreaking album. "
• Orcus said in issue 10/ 1998: "The sound of the album is again turned out a little rougher than on the albums of recent years. But it is not the only reason, Psycho Circus ' definitely the best Kiss album since at least 16 years. "
• Visions said in issue 10/ 1998: "And so comes their new concoction, Psycho Circus ' because even the indictment. [ ... ] Kiss dismantle with plates like Psycho Circus ' only itself "
• Sonic Seducer said in issue 10/ 1998: " It is, Psycho Circus ' by far not a bad album [ ... ] Rocky, they are still, even the charismatic catchy melodies are still there. "
• Rock Box said in issue 10/ 1998: " The sometimes stereotyped overloaded songs sound with a few exceptions, such as from the reserve fund of the rearmost tray. [ ... ] Psycho Circus ' is a musical and visual self copy that never comes close to their earlier work and the meaning of this Reunion - off terrific live shows -. Makes questionable "
• X-Act said 1998/99: "Kiss punish their critics by producing a tremendously straightes album, combine that good songs knitting and absolutely modern elements, modern rock music and the band thus the connection to the new rock generation enabled easily. "