Kiss 2: Hotter Than Hell

Part of the Casablanca label’s marketing strategy for Kiss entailed constantly having new product on the shelves, so within months of releasing their debut, the band was back at work on a follow-up. Hotter Than Hell was a daring title for 1974, packaged in a cover that for some reason was designed like a Japanese comic book, with titillating photos of the band members in racy situations and a very clever combination of the foursome’s signature makeup. In fact, the sessions went so quickly they didn’t bother finish the songs or mix the album properly, resulting in a record that to this day sounds like absolute sludge.

“Got To Choose” is a competent opener, nicely followed by “Parasite”, based on a nasty speed-metal riff and one of the few untempo tracks here. Then there’s “Goin’ Blind”, which always sounds out of tune, and an unintentionally hilarious, grammatically awkward lyric sung to a 16-year-old girl from a 93-year-old man. (In future live versions, he’d stay 93, but she’d get younger.) The title track needs to be a little faster, but the boys sure know how to write a chorus. The flop first single was “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N Roll”, despite a tasty pile of riffs, and luckily for them they’d rewrite it much better on the next album.

Side two is all about the cowbell, beginning with “All The Way”, another chorus better than the rest of the song. “Watchin’ You” could’ve used a little more development in the lyric department, as could “Mainline”, which makes even less sense, but it’s catchier and features a decent lead vocal from Peter Criss. “Comin’ Home” is an above-average “life on the road is hard” tune, wherein the singer negates all the rejection he’s had through the previous eight tracks. It would have made a better closer that “Strange Ways”, which is mostly notable for Ace’s lead guitar and a less impressive vocal from Peter.

Hotter Than Hell isn’t as immediately striking as the debut, but is almost as funny. Paul Stanley takes something of a back seat, singing lead on only three tracks, compared to Gene Simmons’ five, but the standout performer is Ace, whose lead breaks throughout are distinct and inspired. It’s a good way for fans to kill half an hour, and they’d have another album out soon enough anyway.

Kiss Hotter Than Hell (1974)—3