Basking in the incredible success of their 1996 reunion tour, the four original members of KISS headed back into the studio to pick up where they left off: completely unable to work together. In fact, the entire band only appear together twice on 1998’s so-called reunion album Psycho Circus. The whole band performs Ace Frehley’s Into The Void (which, surprise surprise, is the only track here that sounds anything like classic KISS) and they all sing together on the fairly average You Wanted The Best. In truth, however, this is the Paul n’ Gene show. Which would be fine if the album was actually any good, but it’s a muddled, mediocre effort. Stanley exerts a bit of quality control with the anthemic, stomping title track and Gene offers up the suprisingly good closer Journey Of 1,000 Years but both performers have seen better days. Within is terrible alterna-metal, Finally Found My Way is a limp and dated ballad and the album is loaded with empty and charmless statements of unity. Doing a greatest hits nostalgia trek is one thing, moving forward as a creative unit is another entirely. KISS would have been better settling for the nostalgia because Psycho Circus left the inimitable rock legends looking like nothing but a bunch of clowns.
Another attempt at photographing the pesky 3D coverhttps://youtu.be/SWxa0iS2zdE
HEAVY METAL OVERLOAD 
Yeah, not their finest effort. I liked Psycho Circus, Within, We Are One and Into the Void and that was pretty much it. Maye a 2.5 for me. And it does suck that it really wasn’t much of a reunion album since they didn’t really record together.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I could have stretched to 2.5 on a good day but most days this album just rubs me up the wrong way. The second half is a bit better I think… Raise Your Glasses, Dreamin and Journey… never liked We Are One. Too cheesy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sadly, I like a little cheese every now and again. It reminded me of his solo album for some reason.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fair enough. I’m not adverse to cheese either… but that was the wrong kind for me. I did get a Gene solo vibe from the last song.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, yes, yes, yes yes. All of this.
This album has not aged well, and I’m afraid that the stinkers really stunk this time out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was expecting the worst when it came out, and I was still disappointed! I think I’d say this is the crappiest album they ever did.
LikeLike
Excellent closing line, HMO!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Man, they dropped the ball on this one big time. To tour that much beforehand in 96 and then put this out without two key members sucks ass.
Some of it is good some of it so so and a lot of it I have forgotten.
Too bad as it could have been stellar especially with Fairbairn at the controls.
KISS wanted to make there own ‘Pump’ like Aeroalbum but instead, they defeated quickly. It’s apparent looking back that from 97 on it’s been a shit show with these guys in the personal ranks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, if you believe Paul Stanley, he put a lot of the blame for this at Fairbairn’s door. Had his nose too far up Gene’s ass. Don’t know if I buy that… Simmons and Stanley both went into this with the wrong attitude. I really don’t like the sound on it though so I guess Fairbairn fucked up there. Was this his final album?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes’s The Ladder album was Fairbairn’s last album as he died during it.
Stanley deflected the blame to Bruce but make no mistake the songs wriiten should also be faulted to the songwriters on this album as they didn’t have the material as well so who knows what kind of songs Bruce had to work with.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah exactly. The whole thing was just a non-starter. I’d forgot about the Yes album. He never really figured much in my collection. Liked his Aerosmith stuff but he wasn’t really a big deal for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I bought some bands/artist that I probaly would have never bought if his name wasn’t on it like Paul Laine and Dan Reed Network to name two.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Some sort of Canadian loyalty there?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s all about the Can Con my friend. lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha knew it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have to keep the regualtion police off of my back Scott!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Awful album.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep. Even the good songs aren’t really all that much to write home about.
LikeLike
Check out the demos for this album on YouTube. Without the Fairbairn production, the sound is rawer, grittier and with more depth and edge.
I do like some of the songs, but classic Kiss? No way, José. It’s an uneven album but not bad per se, I think. Animalize, for example, is a way worse record.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love Animalize so hard disagree there!
I’d agree it’s uneven though. Maybe not completely “bad” cause there are a few songs I like but it’s certainly a poor effort. My least favourite album of theirs maybe…
I’ll check out the demos, never heard those. The album is very sterile and brickwalled sounding.
LikeLike
That song you featured wasn’t terrible but I don’t feel that I somehow missed out by not picking up this album.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is kinda worse on the album cause its nothing like the other songs. It sticks out like a sore thumb.
LikeLiked by 1 person
At the time it came out I liked into the void and raise your glasses, probably the title track. None of it has aged well for me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah those are both good ones. But even then, they’re not up there with their best stuff.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have you heard the 2012 remaster of Destroyer? They really beefed up the drums and it’s amazing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I’ve got that. I’ve not listened to it much but I really liked it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What are you talking about, man! This album is amazing!*
*no, it’s not.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is even worse than the first Crowes album.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That bad!? Jings!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just wish they’d give us what we want and issue a greatest hits or a best of; possibly even a live album. Sorry, crazy talk from me there for a second, they have far too much integrity.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey keep your crass capitalist commercialism out of this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just wish they’d realize that integrity doesn’t pay the bills.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But they put their art before those sort of considerations.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Argh! I just want them to stop being so humble!!
LikeLiked by 1 person