Despite it not being an album recorded by the Original 4, This is a top notch KISS album.
Gene was back in full form dedicating himself full-time to the band after trying to be "Mr.Hollywood" for most of the eighties, Bruce branched out with great tone and ferociousness, disbanding most 80s glam-like frills on guitar, a hard hitting new drummer. Eric Singer joins the band and Paul still being the top musical driving force behind the band.
Grunge was just on the horizon when REVENGE was release, mere months after NIRVANA unleashed their mega-hit album NEVERMIND, which breathed in much new life to the Rock'N'Roll genre.
KISS had much to prove. They came off a very successful 1990 tour, had a Top 10 hit FOREVER then tragedy occured when fan-favorite ERIC CARR--their drummer for eleven years, died from cancer.
To make REVENGE, they paired up again with producer Bob Ezrin and wrote a few songs with former KISS member, Vinnie Vincent.
This newly revitalized & focused KISS came out swinging, with the brutal & dark debut single, Unholy--that features lead vocals by Gene and was one of the cut written together by Gene & Vinnie.
The premise of the album was a cumulation of what was loved by KISS fans; It had the bite of CREATURES OF THE NIGHT, the essence of DESTROYER, the additude of Rock'N'Roll over & the mystique of HOTTER THAN HELL.
The entire band ran on all four cylinders and that's easily heard on every track. The lyrics, riffs. solos, drums, vocals, track sequencing and production brought the listener back to 1975 & 1982 respectively when KISS was....KISS! Yet, the album was definitely up to par in regards to the 90s standards of what was now (and again) expected from heavy hitting rockers!
There's not a bad song on this album. God Gave Rock N Roll To You II. Heart of Chrome, Domino, Take It Off. Spit--all are take no prisoners monsters of songs.
If you want the best of the non-makeup years of KISS. Revenge is an album you cannot, and shouldn't, be vacant from your music collection!
