Creatures of the Night (Remastered)

iTunes Review

After three failed attempts to broaden its music and appeal to a crossover audience, Creatures of the Night returned Kiss to the thunderous heavy metal the true fans craved. The industry had undergone drastic changes since Kiss’s mid-‘70s heyday, but this 1982 comeback album proved that the band fit in easily within the ascending pop metal scene that it had helped to create. Ever the shrewd businessmen, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley pulled in outside help to aid their reintroduction into the pop music landscape. Future superstar Bryan Adams and his songwriting partner Jim Vallance are credited as co-writers on the stomping “Rock and Roll Hell.” Meanwhile, the speedy “Killer,” the moody ballad “I Still Love You,” and the splendidly lead-footed single “I Love It Loud” were all co-written by Vinnie Vincent, who would soon assume Ace Frehley’s role in the band. The album’s MVP is new drummer Eric Carr. His walloping, John Bonham-influenced sound brings an explosive bottom end to “Creatures of the Night,” “Keep Me Comin’,” and “War Machine.”