Book Review: Peter Criss: Makeup to Breakup

Okay, I am a pretty huge Kiss fan. They were the first band I got into as a young kid of 11 years-old. I discovered the band in 1977 right around the time Kiss Alive II was released, and I heard it at a friend's house. I promptly went out and purchased their latest studio album Love Gun, and became an instant fan. Prior to that, it was music like the Grease soundtrack, and the Bee Gees, and other poppy disco stuff of the time. So, Kiss was my first taste of hard rock, and I consumed all they had.

They were my first concert experience, seeing the Dynasty tour in 1979 and many times after that. The only thing I really knew about the band was what I saw. Not an avid reader, nor a real follower of the latest tabloid/magazine world, I did not spend much time following the behind the scenes publicized dirt. They were super heroes to me - amazing musicians who put on a great show.

Now, 35 years later, I am still a big fan. I have all of their albums, I have a bunch of merchandise too. I follow them religiously to a degree. Obviously I like hundreds of other bands now, but still Kiss ranks up their as a key player in my eye. I have followed the solo stuff, I have followed the former members (Ace & Peter), but still, only paid a small amount of attention to the publicized dirt.

Book Review: Iron Man: My Journey through Heaven and Hell with Black Sabbath - Tony Iommi

Biographies have never really been my reading preference in the past. I have always rather chosen to read books that would broaden my understanding, education, or worldview. However, a couple of years ago I read a biography of someone musical that I was a fan of more or less. At first I was thinking, why read this, it is about the life of someone else, and dealt with things that are not directly affecting me. However, I found it to be really enjoying. As a musician myself, and with so many years being so involved in following the music scene in general, and with such a wide range of musical likes, I guess musical related biographies appeal to me a bit more than other types.

I chose to read this one on Tony Iommi at this time for three main reasons. One, I had heard good things about it from other music fans; two, I have never been much of a fan or follower of his music and wanted to learn more; three, it had just been returned to the library the day I went in looking for a book, so I grabbed it.

Seven Kingdoms - The Fire is Mine

Track list:
01: Beyond the Wall
02: After the Fall
03: Forever Brave
04: Flame of Olympus
05: Symphony of Stars
06: The Fire is Mine
07: Kardia
08: Fragile Minds Collapse
09: In the Twisted Twilight
10: A Debt Paid in Steel
11: The King in the North

Release date: 9 October 2012
Label: Nightmare Records

I discovered this band through their 2010 self-titled release - Seven Kingdoms, which was a solid piece of power metal splendor. I later went back and discovered the first release Brothers of the Night, which was very different due to the male singer and rougher vocal style. I had gotten a small taste of that vocals style on the few songs containing it on the second album, but did not realize their roots were so different. Female vocalist Sabrina Valentine took over the vocals on album number two, driving the band into a different direction with their sound, and for release number three, she remains solely at the helm of this fine-tuned power metal machine.

Burning Point - The Ignitor

01. Eternal Flame
02. In the Fires of Myself - Made Hell
03. In the Night
04. The Ignitor
05. Silent Scream
06. Heaven is Hell
07. Losing Sleep
08. Demon Inside of You
09. Eversleep
10. Lost Tribe
11. Holier than Thou

Release date: 19 June 2012

The band is back, and ready to set the world on fire with album number five - ‘The Ignitor’ - which sets new standards for the band, combining all the best elements of its predecessors and throwing them into Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Heaven!

Book Review: No Regrets - Ace Frehley

I really enjoyed this look into the darkness and trials of one of rock's great guitarists. The band KISS was the very first band I ever bought an album of back as a little tike; I am guessing I was probably about 12 years old or so. I was hooked, and from that time on, they were always one of my favorite bands.

Last year I read through a fairly major biography on the whole band, with sub-sections on each member's history (see KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography), but that was based on a series of band interviews back from the late 70's when they were just starting to peak. I also have read through a detailed history of drummer Peter Criss in Sealed With A Kiss.

So, when Ace's book came out I marked it to read, and thanks to a friend who bought and read it first, then loaned to me, I got the chance.

House of Lords - Big Money

01. Big Money
02. One Man Down
03. First To Cry
04. Searchin'
05. Someday When
06. Livin' In A Dream World
07. The Next Time I Hold You
08. Run For Your Life
09. Hologram
10. Seven
11. Once Twice
12. Blood
13. Someday When (video clip)

Release date: 27 September 2011

I have been a fan of this band since way back. The band (originally brought to the market by Gene Simmons) has had many line up changes, and over the years has had some of my favorite musicians in the ranks (Tommy Aldridge, Ken Mary, Lanny Cordola, Chuck Wright), and have consistently put out solid commercial hard rock with an edge. All along the way, the one constant was the powerfully beautiful vocals of James Christian. This band for me, is always just the perfect balance of commercial radio rock and hard rock, and album after album have never let me down from that expectation. And even with the change of personnel, the music has not suffered, and each release is as pleasing as ever.

Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare

1. I Am Made Of You
2. Caffeine
3. The Nightmare Returns
4. A Runaway Train
5. Last Man On Earth
6. The Congregation
7. I’ll Bite Your Face Off
8. Disco Bloodbath Boogie Fever
9. Ghouls Gone Wild
10. Something To Remember Me By
11. When Hell Comes Home
12. What Baby Wants
13. I Gotta Get Outta Here
14. The Underture

Release date: 13 September 2011

The master of macabre is back with what is to be considered part two of one of his most famous works, 1975's Welcome to My Nightmare. Joined by Bob Ezrin, who was the producer of the original 1975 multi-platinum seller, they again weave together another story from within the mind of the Alice Cooper character.

"This is Alice's nightmare 35 years later," explains Alice, "Bob and I created this character and we know how to write for him. I play the part but we're not writing for me, we're writing for Alice. We kept the first 'Nightmare' album very personal to us, on this one we found more humor and we were more open. This was our world and we want to present it to the fans. The original album was my first solo album after all those huge hit records with the original band and now that nightmare is exposed, this one can be a little bit more open. The music crosses all sorts of boundaries; we went where the lyrics took us."