Kiss

About Kiss

The theatrical hard rock band KISS took rock n' roll music as it was previously known and completely redefined it the way they thought rock n' roll should exist. With hard partying songs, hard partying antics and a stage show straight out of a teenage pyromaniac's dream, KISS are the definition of rock excess. Formed in 1973, the band has gone on to sell over 80 million records worldwide. They've also blazed new trails in merchandising-selling everything from standard T-shirts and posters to KISS brand perfume, condoms and even coffins to their devoted legions of fans, the KISS Army. The main players-Paul Stanley (Star Child,) Ace Frehely (Space Ace), Peter Criss (Cat Man) and the salacious Gene Simmons (Demon)-have become instantly recognizable thanks to their trademark black and white face paint and post-apocalyptic body armor. The band back up their image with arena-filling, killer riffs on classic cuts like "Hotter Than Hell," "Rock n' Roll All Night," "Lovegun" and "Detroit Rock City." And any aspiring lead guitarist should be required to study "Beth," regarded by many as the definitive power ballad. The band met up through a classified ad placed in New York City's legendary alternative paper, The Village Voice. They shared an enthusiasm for live music and pyrotechnics and they modeled themselves on the highly theatrical glam rock gods The New York Dolls. The band has always claimed they chose the name KISS because Ace Frehely designed a cool logo for it, but fans still believe it's an acronym for Knights In Satan's Service.