KISS – I honestly don’t know what’s not to love about this KISS album. Since it’s October release back in 1989, I can’t ever refuse Hot In The Shade the moment my eyes make contact with it… I just have to play it and play it LOUD. This album is chock full of the patented KISS hard & heavy… with all the vocal harmony I could ever wish for. Melodic isn’t the word for a song like Hide Your Heart, super melodic is more like it. There should have been a disclaimer within the liner notes of Hot In The Shade for Hide Your Heart… that stating: Warning – this song is extremely contagious to your Hard Rock and Heavy Metal health!
Hot In The Shade opens up with Rise To It, man, if this KISS song doesn’t get a rise out of any fan of Hard Rock or ’80’s Heavy Metal, then that person should check into the: Sprawling Meadows Mellow Clinic for the Dazed and Confused. Seriously, if I am having a semi-funky day or I’m starting to feel a tad down, Hot In The Shade is a pump you up and psyche you out Heavy Metal prescription I reach for. Metal be thy name.
Even Michael Bolton got in on the act with Hot In The Shade, co-writing the power ballad – Forever alongside Paul Stanley. I guess if you need some teary eyed lyrics, just call Michael Bolton up and he will deliver the kleenex worthy goods. Never the excitable ballad fan that I am, Forever is one inspirational and love infested song. For being the power ballad that it is, I respect Forever and find it to be a decent listen. Plus, due to the intense psyched out mood I’m in while listening to Hot In The Shade, once Forever comes on… I keep on listening. It’s kinda funny how Forever is the song right after Love’s A Slap In The Face too.
Even a deep album track like Boomerang Rocks like there is no tomorrow, Gene Simmons sounds classic on vocals. Silver Spoon is another example of a deep track that resonates the classic hard & heaviness of KISS. Hot In The Shade was released at the tail end of the 80’s Heavy Metal boom… and what an asterisk KISS put at the end of this power packed decade. At the end of my Metal day, this is a KISS album from the past, that I would have no problem recommending to someone, who has never listened to this iconic band before. Is this the greatest KISS album ever? Of course it isn’t… yet it isn’t the Asylum album either.
KISS as they appeared on Hot In The Shade:
Gene Simmons – bass & vocals
Paul Stanley – guitar & vocals
Eric Carr – drums
Bruce Kulick – guitar
Track Listing for Hot In The Shade:
Rise To It
Betrayed
Hide Your Heart
Prisoner Of Love
Read My Body
Love’s A Slap In The Face
Forever
Silver Spoon
Cadillac Dreams
King Of Hearts
The Street Giveth And The Street Taketh Away
You Love Me To Hate You
Somewhere Between Heaven And Hell
Little Caesar
Boomerang
* KISS – Hot In The Shade was released on Mercury Records.
LONG LIVE KISS ROCK ‘N ROLL!!!
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
You must be logged in to post a comment.