10 Insane Plots From Concept Albums
5. Kiss - Music From "The Elder"
At the beginning of the '80s, Kiss was a band in free-fall, as punk’s DIY ethos had well and truly dispensed with showy makeup and theatrics. The last thing they needed was to get more ostentatious - but that’s what they did. The band got bitten by the prog-bug, even working with The Wall producer Bob Ezrin. Still, bringing in big-name talent wasn’t enough (Ezrin’s ruinous drug addiction can’t have helped) and the result is a pompous mess.
The story proceeds with a self-seriousness that would make Spinal Tap ashamed. Set in a historical setting which is, for some reason, actually the future (sort of the opposite of Star Wars), Elder follows a reluctant “chosen one” known only as “The Boy”, selected by the Council of the Elder of The Order of the Rose (catchy) and mentored by a sage called Morpheus, in order to defeat the evil Mr. Blackwell (a scary name for a villain and/or geography teacher).
Predictably, the album was a commercial flop, contributing to guitarist Ace Frehley’s departure and ultimately leading the band to wipe off their make-up for good. (Well, at least until the hugely successful 90s reunion tour.)