Being a huge fan since the age I could afford to buy albums, I've waited a long time for a KISS album of this quality. I bought the album in May 1992 when it was released mostly because it was my duty as a member of the KISS ARMY to buy every album of the of the band history including new ones. Was I surprise when I heard 'UNHOLY' co-written by none other than Vinnie Vincent, the most underatted songwriter in hard rock history! That song was our anthem in spring-summer 1992! The song quality of Gene Simmons exceeded his last well known contribution which was the Lick it Up album! I mean, GENE just wanted kick all the grunge bands ass! 'Spit','Domino' and "Thou Shall Not' rocked with the best of them. Paul Stanley writing was up to par, like all the songs he's written. 'Take it Off' and "I just Wanna' stands out. But his song 'Everytime I Look at You' should have been a huge hit not unlike Aerosmith's 'I Don't Want to Miss a Thing'. Oh well, life's not perfect! Anyway, BUY the album if you don't own it! It's the best album KISS released in the non-make-up years!!!!

THIS RECORD ROCKS. They brought back in Bob Ezrin to produce it (he did DESTROYER for kiss, and their biggest flop, MUSIC FROM THE ELDER. He also did THE WALL for Pink Floyd). Well the production absolutely ROCKS. By that I mean that the guitars jump out of the speakers and assault you; when the new drummer Eric Singer hits the drums, you can feel it hit your chest. And that is even if you have the volume on 3!

The songs are all good for the most part. We all know Simmons can't sing, but that doesn't really stand out here. In fact, this album probably represents his best vocal performances for KISS. And Paul - who CAN sing - does his job very well. Bruce Kulick is a mean guitar player. On this album they include a drum solo that Eric Carr did before he died from cancer. It is great, and definitely worth a listen.

There is something nasty about this album. It's like the guys in the band are really on the warpath, really want to make a statement. And they do. TURN IT UP!

One of the best great overall albums ever!!! This was KISS at one of their finer points!! Still gives me chills!!

THE BAND: Paul Stanley (vocals, guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass), Bruce Kulick (guitar), Eric Singer (drums & percussion).

THE DISC: (1992) 12 tracks clocking in at approximately 49 minutes. Included with the disc is a 10-page booklet, containing song titles/credits, song lyrics, band photos, and thank you's. Stanley has 7 song writing (or co-writing) credits and Simmons has 6. Also noted producer Bob Ezrin (producer of one of their classics, "Destroyer") has 6 co-writing credits, and Vinnie Vincent has 3. Label - Mercury.

COMMENTS: Kiss has been around for years... putting out several, if not many, studio releases each of the last 3 decades. Where the band had several classic albums released in the 70's; two albums (out of many) - "Creatures Of The Night" and "Lick It Up" being their heaviest and best studio albums of the 80's; and one studio album clearly jumping out during the 90's - "Revenge". Polished, slick, and full of crunchy chords and melodies. This is the first album recorded after the death of drummer Eric Carr (R.I.P. 11/24/91). New drummer Eric Singer has some great credentials - playing with Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, The Cult, Lita Ford, and Badlands. The back cover photo indicates the band is BACK (from many mediocre albums) and ready to rock - clad in their long black leather jackets (right out of "The Matrix"). "Revenge" stunned many listeners - reaching #6 on the Billboard Top 200 (albums) in 1992. The songs "Domino" and "I Just Wanna " reached #26 and #34 respectively on Billboard's "Mainstream Rock Tracks" list. "God Gave Rock & Roll To You II" reached #4 in the U.K. (but did not chart in the U.S.). Album highlights include: Track 1 "Unholy" - a great slow rocking opener from Gene; Paul's "Take It Off" and "Tough Love" have some great guitar work; the above mentioned hits in "Domino" and "I Just Wanna"; and notably a lost instrumental gem to close the album - Eric Carr's "Car Jam 1981". The only song I find myself disliking is Paul's ballad "Every Time I Look At You"... which I feel is a direct rip off of Rod Stewart's "The First Cut Is The Deepest". Despite this one song, Kiss really put a great album together. The band is in top form and Eric Singer is/was a nice replacement for Carr. *If you're a big fan of "Revenge", you have to check out "Alive III" which was recorded on the "Revenge" tour and features 4 tunes from the album. "Revenge" rocks mean and lean... great album (4.5 stars).

This release came at a much needed time in the career of KISS. The had begun to slide into to the "pop, hair metal" vein with releases such as Asylum, Crazy Nights and Hot In The Shade. REVENGE was a return to the hard rocking KISS formula. This CD is easily in the top 5 of all KISS studio releases, and certainly the very best of the non-makeup, non-original lineup KISS. From the opening chords of Unholy to the tribute to the late great Eric Carr [Carr Jam 1981] this album is KISS at it's best. Personal favorites are the aforementioned Unholy, Take It Off, Spit, Domino, Heart of Chrome and I Just Wanna. The only bad thing about this release is that it makes me feel as though KISS could do a great album with the current lineup of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer- if only Gene and Paul would truly give the fans what they want. They choose instead to only tour sporadically and force the fans to hear the same songs over and over...Anyways, back to this Revenge. A classic hard rock album anyway you slice it