ASYLUM (1985)

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Woooo wooooo yeeeaaah!

That's my language for 80s singing and screaming. Because that sums up this album fairly nicely. And I dig it. King of the Mountain, despite its attempts to do some 80s thrashing, is actually a really cool rockin' opener. Anyway You Slice It is a fun Gene stomper and Who Wants to Be Lonely? is one of those 80s tracks with the sad lyrics but isn't sad at all musically. By Prime, I make no sense sometimes. I blame Bruce Kulick and his insanely good guitaring. Trial By Fire is OK, though kinda goes nowhere and Gene sings like he sucks again. I'm such a positive guy, considering I'd still give that song solid 6 out of 10. Paul Stanley comes back to thrashing things up with I'm Alive. I originally mistyped that as I'm Alice - that would have been an incredibly awkward song. Especially when you put it next to that classic Smokie song Living Next Door to Alice; now all I can imagine is they are singing about Paul Stanley moving away and them being really sad. I'd be sad too. Would be hard to get used to not hearing his screaming every morning. From now on, when people sing it at the pub with the whole "Alice! Alice! Who the fuck is Alice?" I'm going to loudly respond with "PAUL STANLEY!".

Oh yay! Gene decided the album was too different from the last two so gives us Love's a Deadly Weapon which sounds like almost every song off Lick It Up and Animalize. Except for the good ones. Tears Are Falling is an awesome song. I especially love the music video where Bruce Kulick performs his guitar solo under a shower and Paul Stanley makes windscreen wiping motions over his eyes. Get it? Because the line "Looks like it's raining" is a metaphor for crying. How poetical. Dude should be hitting Def Poetry Slam with this shit.

The rest of the album is super rockin' typical 80s Kiss styles. Which I like. I also like to make fun of it.


Highlights:
Tears Are Falling

Lowlights:
Love's a Deadly Weapon, Paul Stanley not being Alice



Verdict = 3 Smoking Les Paul Guitars and a thumbs up