Album Review: Kiss - Monster

It's easy to be cynical about KISS. Scratch that. It's damn near impossible not to be cynical about KISS. They have their own mini-golf course in Las Vegas and they star in reality TV shows and Ace Frehley isn't even in the band anymore. That cynicism will grab you pretty early when you pick up a copy of Monster, the band's 20th studio full-length. Perhaps you will notice the title's font and think of its similarity to a certain energy drink's typeface and consider if group marketing maven Gene Simmons has reached a new low. Or you won't be able to get past the sticker on the front that desperately reads 'No Filler' without wondering why these geezers don't just give up writing new records so they can focus on touring and playing Love Gun for you and all your drunk buddies.

But if you can holster your cynicism long enough to actually get the album onto the stereo… Well, actually there's a lot more reasons to be cynical. Most of Monster feels like a hackneyed or clichéd reference to the band's back catalogue. But, like 2009's Sonic Boom record, there are moments of fun amidst the mediocrity. Shout Mercy is an adept fist-pumping anthem for people too elderly to pump their fists quickly and the Gene Simmons-penned Eat Your Heart Out is a rollicking bluesy rock'n'roll number that will have you reaching for a bottle of bourbon instead of the skip button.

If you find a certain degree of cynicism lingering after listening to Monster, and you will, just know that it is guaranteed to dissipate with the first blast of over-the-top pyrotechnics when KISS tour the record.