Kiss - Lick It Up - 1983
So, realizing that the gimmick had come to an end (it had) and that it was time to let the music speak for itself as it had on Creatures of the Night (it did), Kiss took off the Kabuki paint and put out another scorcher, playing directly to the metal fans they courted on the previous album as they continued the Mea Culpa for The Elder.
Lick it Up isn't as pounding as Creatures, it doesn't bore it's way into your brain and make you spontaneously whiplash your head. But, that said, it's pretty committed to it's genre. Vinnie Vincent is possessed with a singularly manic and forward thinking style that he's pretty hard to deny. He's a very different guitarist than Ace but he really makes his presence known.
The track, "All Hell's Breakin Loose" is actually one of the first Rap Rock tracks and it's...not bad. "Fits Like a Glove" could be one of my favorite Kiss records. And it's by Gene of all people. Of course, he's describing sex as "like a hot knife in butter", but still, the song is pretty driving.
Lick it Up was something of a comeback for Kiss. Lots of publicity for taking off the makeup. And they didn't choke. It's a solid, if somewhat generic, 80s metal record.
Grade B
A Side: Exciter, Lick It Up
BlindSide:All Hell's Breaking Loose, A Million to One, Fits Like A Glove
DownSide: Young & Wasted
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