Kiss is just days away from finishing their first studio album in 11 years, front man Paul Stanley told fans yesterday.

In a message on the band’s website, Stanley assured that the 11-track album “is a classic.”

(photo courtesy of the Associated Press/Paul Warner)

“Hey all,” Stanley said on the Kiss website.
“We’re about four days from finishing the new KISS album. Eleven tracks, and it IS everything I’ve told you. It IS classic. It IS all written within the band. And IT ROCKS BIG TIME! Tommy and Eric both handle lead vocals. The songs, sound and playing will knock your socks off. You will all be as proud and excited as we all are. Oh…and WAIT till you see the cover!
We ARE just getting started!”

The album will be the first studio release for Kiss since Psycho Circus came out in 1998.

The current Kiss lineup — and the lineup on the upcoming album — will include bassist/singer Gene Simmons and Stanley, Kiss’ lead singer and rythm guitarist, the band’s founders.

Rounding out the band these days are drummer Eric Singer and lead guitar player Tommy Thayer, who fill the slots originally held by founding  members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley on drums and lead guitar, respectively.

Simmons and Stanley founded the band in New York City in 1972, and soon brought on Criss and Frehley. Their raunchy stage perfomances were marked by larger-than-life personas they created, complete with makeup and costumes. They received moderate local acclaim on three studio albums until hitting it big in 1975 with the live album Kiss Alive.

There’s really been no looking back since, with Kiss establishing itself as one of the most successful rock bands of all time.

But the band eventually splintered, with Criss and Frehley going their separate ways. In 1983, the remaining members began appearing without their trademark makeup, and recorded with several lineups.

There have been reunions with the original lineup on a few occasions, and even a highly lucrative world tour with both makeup and the founding members intact.

But other lineup changes followed, with only Simmons and Stanley as the only bandmates appearing together on every Kiss album to date. That will continue to be the case with the newest release.

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