Casablanca - 1982
9.5/10
After several albums very atypical of the established Kiss style, we reach a record that is the end of a few eras. Creatures Of The Night saw the end of the makeup era entirely (and its final “phase”), the end of being signed to Casablanca, and the end of Ace Frehley on lead guitar (although like Peter Criss on Unmasked, he’s absent in all but credit). This massive outro of a disc not only saw a return to the heavier rock form that has been absent for the last few years, but adds a new layer of aggression that I would qualify as heavy metal. Right as glam metal was poking its head from below, we got an unintentional transition away from what we’d call “classic Kiss” to “80s Kiss.” This was their third record in the ‘80s, but longtime fans will know what I mean.
Heavy metal characteristics come into play with several different tactics. For one, this is extremely loud production wise, amping Eric Carr’s new defined role up to harder heights behind the kit, which shows wonderfully. Riff-wise, the songs are just far more in line with Judas Priest than Cheap Trick, riding on heavier chugging whether it's done with steadiness or speed. Vocally, both Paul and Gene cast harder energy in their outbursts, and with this the general tone uses more minor scales. You could say the energy is just a bit darker, reminiscent of the nighttime, B horror-esque album sleeve.
Don’t expect it to be a satanic-panic era disc in line with Venom, however. Creatures Of The Night still very much keeps the band’s initial foundation, building on muscles flexed on the debut and Destroyer. The title track opener alone breathes loads of fun, riding on fast riffs and explosive drums to set the stage, being Paul’s heaviest performance to date. “Rock ‘N Roll Hell” and “I Love It Loud” rely on the catchy element as well, two Gene-fronted numbers that still howl harder than ever but hold onto the hooks that always made the band great. “I Still Love You” is a decent acoustic ballad, but still fits due to its doomy bridge and hard solo.
On the flip-side, we have a full serving of songs that break into the metal territory entirely, truly reaching the new heights without sounding out of place. Closer “War Machine” is a fuming doom metal number that rides on menacing drumlines and furious outbursts for Simmons’ normal levels, making “God Of Thunder” look limp. “Saint And Sinner,” another metal-oriented tune that amps up the attitude, while “Killer” busts out descending bass/lead chops and serious speed metal aggression. I’d even toss “Danger” in with this mix, which emphasizes a dash more emotion over speed metal rhythms; the solos here are also some of the strongest.
My only honest complaint is “Keep Me Comin,” the single obvious filler, and even this one isn’t bad; had it been absent or replaced, this disc would be as strong as the debut. Objectively, it likely falls into the camp where writing wise it’s better than Kiss, but my biases and that one tune keep it below. If your goal is to get a metalhead to listen to Kiss, this is absolutely the album I would recommend. Much of its heavier energy would carry into several other records following, but none are as tight, stripped-down, and beefy as the final makeup era outing.
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