This version of the album is the Fan Expo Edition and is limited to only 500 copies. These special Fan Expo Edition discs were previously sold exclusively at the Indianapolis KISS Expo on May 11, 2013 where Gene Simmons was the special guest.
It is packaged in a clear vinyl sleeve to display the fantastic images on both sides of the LP.
- Vinyl (October 9, 2012)
- Original Release Date: 2012
- Number of Discs: 1
Picture Disc LP
Gene Simmons first mentioned Kiss' intention to record a follow-up to Sonic Boom in 2010.[11] On March 10, 2011, Simmons said in radio interview for Heavy Metal Thunder that the band will enter the studio in three weeks and that they have around 20 to 25 songs ready to record.[12]
In an interview with Elliot Segal on Elliot in the Morning, May 2, 2011, Simmons mentioned that Kiss had recorded around five songs.[13] The album was originally supposed to contain ten songs, but he revealed before theAmerican Music Awards of 2011 that Monster will contain fifteen brand new songs, all studio written by the band. This was then reduced to thirteen songs.[14]
On August 21, 2011, Kiss officially revealed the album's title and confirmed that it was being recorded in Los Angeles, with Paul Stanley producing, for a 2012 release.[15]
The band uploaded a video on January 3, 2012 on YouTube in which Stanley commented that the album was two to three days from completion.[16] The recording process ended three days later. The following day, Stanley stated, "Listening to the tracks back to back is like sensory overload. Everyone who has heard any of it is completely blown away. Powerful, heavy, melodic and epic. It makes us very proud. You all will be too."[17]
The album's first single, "Hell or Hallelujah", was released on July 2, 2012 internationally and July 3 in North America along with the Monster Book. It received play on rock radio and climbed the onto the middle reaches of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart. The second single, "Long Way Down", was released to radio stations on October 23.[18] While it failed to make the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart, it did reach the Billboard Heritage Rock Charts by the end of the year, and also occupied a spot on the America's Music Rock Chart for several months. The third single, "Right Here Right Now" was premiered with a lyric video on June 26, 2013.
After several release delays, Monster was released in the U.S. on October 9, 2012.
Composition
According to an interview with Tommy Thayer, the band had the intention of creating an album with a slightly heavier sound than Sonic Boom, as well as recreating the vibe that existed on the band's earlier material.[19]Similarly, Simmons has likened the album to a combination of three of the band's previous albums, Destroyer, Revenge and Sonic Boom.[20]
While doing interviews for his appearance in ABC's Castle, Simmons commented on the album's sound: "Meat and potatoes. You know it's going to be like Santa Claus. Up and down, everybody gets used to this and that, and things change, and fashion changes, but it's good to know that Santa comes, and he’s not going to change his outfit and you know what you’re going to get: gifts. Consistency of message."[21]
The band also decided to use old analog equipment instead of more popular digital recording gear. In justifying Kiss' choice, Simmons commented: "Technology is a seductive bitch, she will seduce you. You press this button, you don't have to do anything. But analog is the love of your life. You can push real hard and it always gives back. For the new album, the actual recording process was 24-track tape and an old Trident board. And as many tubes as possible. You need tubes, electricity and thick wood to make that thick sound."[22]
On March 22, 2012, Stanley said in an interview with VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner, "Monster is really the culmination of everything this band has been in the past and where we're going. When we did Sonic Boom, it was a big task for us because we were saying, 'How do we define who we are today without losing who we've been?' So, that was a tall order for us, but once we got that under our belts, we wanted to go back in andMonster is far, far beyond anything we've done in terms of Sonic Boom and yet it's right up there with some of the best stuff we've done. It's KISS." [23]
Monster debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 and cracked the Top 10 charts in Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Japan, and Danish charts and cracked the Top 20 in the UK, Spain, Italy, Hungary and the Dutch charts.
The album sold 56,000 copies in its first week of release in the United States[24] and 116,000 copies outside of the domestic US in its first week.[citation needed] The album finished 2012 with 132,000 units sold.[citation needed]The album has sold over 200,000 copies as of 2014, the surge in sales is attributed to the band being inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, according to Soundscan.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hell or Hallelujah" | Paul Stanley | Stanley | 4:07 | |
| 2. | "Wall of Sound" | Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer | Simmons | 2:55 | |
| 3. | "Freak" | Stanley, Thayer | Stanley | 3:35 | |
| 4. | "Back to the Stone Age" | Simmons, Stanley, Thayer, Eric Singer | Simmons | 3:01 | |
| 5. | "Shout Mercy" | Stanley, Thayer | Stanley | 4:04 | |
| 6. | "Long Way Down" | Stanley, Thayer | Stanley | 3:51 | |
| 7. | "Eat Your Heart Out" | Simmons | Simmons | 4:06 | |
| 8. | "The Devil Is Me" | Simmons, Stanley, Thayer | Simmons | 3:40 | |
| 9. | "Outta This World" | Simmons, Thayer | Thayer | 4:29 | |
| 10. | "All for the Love of Rock & Roll" | Stanley | Singer | 3:21 | |
| 11. | "Take Me Down Below" | Simmons, Stanley, Thayer | Simmons, Stanley | 3:24 | |
| 12. | "Last Chance" | Stanley, Simmons, Thayer | Stanley | 3:05 | |
|
Total length:
|
43:39 | ||||
Chart performance
Album
|
Singles
|
Personnel
- Kiss
- Paul Stanley – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Gene Simmons – bass guitar, vocals
- Eric Singer – drums, vocals
- Tommy Thayer – lead guitar, vocals
- Additional musicians
- Brian Whelan – piano on "Freak"
