KISS Symphony: Alive IV (2 Cd's) - Kiss

Kiss: Paul Stanley (vocals, guitar); Gene Simmons (vocals, bass); Peter Criss (vocals, drums); Tommy Thayer (guitar, background vocals).
Additional personnel: The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, The Melbourne Symphony Ensemble, The Australian Children's Choir.
Recorded live in Melbourne, Australia on February 28, 2003.
Audio Mixers: Tony Wall; Mark Opitz.
Recording information: Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Sing sing Studios, Melbourne, Australia.
Director: Jonathan Beswick.
Photographers: Remo Camerota; Marco Drasdo; Spiro Papadatos; Neil Zlozower.
Presumably responding to the demand of fans refusing to accept their retirement, the Kiss juggernaut rebounded from a supposed farewell tour to launch their own label with the release of SYMPHONY ALIVE IV, a double-disc set featuring the make-up clad quartet's collaboration with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. With this unusual outing, Kiss follows in the footsteps of seminal classical/hard-rock fusion records like Metallica's S&M and Deep Purple's CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA.
Gene Simmons and company keep it interesting by including a section of traditionally rendered tunes as well as those with accompaniment by the smaller Melbourne Symphony Ensemble, and finally a full second CD with the entire orchestra. Noticeably absent is Ace Frehley, whose decision to get off the are-we/aren't-we-retired merry-go-round resulted in the hiring of former Black 'n Blue guitarist Tommy Thayer as his replacement. Die-hards and casual fans will be pleased by a set selection that ranges from powerfully arranged classics like "King of the Night Time World" and "Do You Love Me" to stripped-down renditions of more recent fare such as "Psycho Circus."

• Genre: Pop
• Format: CD
• Genre: Pop
• Released: 05/12/2015
• Released: 05/12/2015
• Format: CD