5 Metal Albums We Should Still Crank (And 5 We Should Tank)
6. Tank It! KISS - Lick It Up
It was the introduction of KISS without makeup. KISS without their gimmick was like Thor without his hammer. He could do it for awhile, but eventually he needed that hammer back.
Now, any criticism of KISS will be met with an expected amount of vitriol from the KISS Army. Some would like to believe the legendary rockers can do no wrong. To this, we respectfully present their 11th studio album...Lick It Up.
Let's not bury the lede. Lick It Up is best known for being the first appearance of KISS without their trademark facepaint. It was 1983 (The year that brought us Pantera's Metal Magic and fellow list entrant Manowar's Into Glory Ride.) The Sunset Strip look and sound was growing, and KISS was trying to appeal to a new audience.
Lick It Up was the first KISS album released after the departure of guitarist Ace Frehley. Eric Carr had already replaced original drummer Peter Criss by this time, leaving Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as the only original members.
Despite some initial popularity, frontman Paul Stanley has said of the album, "The only reason why I think people bought Lick It Up more than Creatures of the Night was because we had no make-up on. That was the only reason."
Who are we to argue with the Starchild? Tank it.