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Written by Marc Farr Saturday, 18 April 2015 14:08

Calling all KISS fans: Get ready to rock and roll all night and party every day.

 

 

The gods of theatrical rock, KISS, have been the subject of many a tribute album. Now, the kings of sleaze, L.A.’s Pretty Boy Floyd, have unleashed KISS of Death: A Tribute to KISS. The 15-track album offers up some of the best KISS tunes, sticking only to the make-up era.

Having heard many a KISS tribute, I found this to be the most enjoyable by far. To have a band devote an entire album to classic tunes like those featured here is quite fun. Pretty Boy Floyd put an enjoyable and colorful spin on the songs, bringing their own glam style on board. Singer Steve Summers offers a sassy, nasal-toned delivery on the vocals originally set forth by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. While staples like “Stutter” and “Cold Gin” are mysteriously absent, the chosen tracks for this project will make any KISS fan happy.

This could not be accomplished without the stunning guitar work of Kristy Majors, delivering these killer licks with tight precision without losing his signature style. The solos are note-perfect, played with an Ace Frehley–type of feeling. Vocally, Stanley’s prowess is hard to match, yet Summers makes up for in attitude what he may lack in ability. His delivery of Simmons’ vocals is more attuned to his range, yet he pulls off both with attitude and style.

This is, however, just half of what used to be Pretty Boy Floyd. Only Summers and Majors are credited with playing on the album, with Majors behind with all guitars, bass, drums, keys, piano, and backing vocals. Even so, PBF has pulled off one hell of a tribute album. With wowing renditions of KISS classics such as “Detroit Rock City,” “Deuce,” “Goin’ Blind,” and “Love Gun,” not a tribute album to this band has been made with such style and musical precision. Some of the tracks, most notably “Creatures of the Night,” are left a little soft overall, yet this is a killer album by one of L.A.’s most underrated glam bands.

Calling all KISS fans: Get ready to rock and roll all night and party every day. B+ | Marc Farr