Maps of Music

Monster (2012)

Where the lyrics of Monster take you, and where it was really made.

Monster was made with 24-track tape and an old Trident board, chosen over digital recording gear.

Key places

Recorded at Conway Recording Studios (2012)

Recording site Conway Recording Studios — Monster was recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, alongside The Nook in Studio City. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at The Nook in Studio City (2012)

Recording site TRS Studios — The Nook in Studio City is the second recording site named for Monster. The point is set at city-center level only, so the exact building is not pinned. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Monster is the twentieth and final studio album by the American rock band Kiss
• Released October 9, 2012 in the U.S. after several release delays
• Produced by Paul Stanley and Greg Collins, as with the 2009 album Sonic Boom
• Lineup: Stanley, Gene Simmons (vocals/bass), Eric Singer (drums/vocals), Tommy Thayer (guitar/vocals)

Background

• Gene Simmons first mentioned a follow-up to Sonic Boom in 2010
• On March 10, 2011, Simmons said on Heavy Metal Thunder radio that the band would enter the studio in three weeks with 20 to 25 songs ready
• By May 2, 2011, Simmons said the band had recorded around five songs
• The album was first planned for ten songs, later fifteen, then reduced to thirteen
• On August 21, 2011, Kiss revealed the title and confirmed recording in Los Angeles with Stanley producing, for a 2012 release

Recording

• Recorded at Conway Recording Studios in Hollywood, California and at The Nook in Studio City
• The band chose old analog equipment over popular digital recording gear
• The recording used 24-track tape and an old Trident board
• In a January 3, 2012 video, Stanley said the album was two to three days from completion
• The recording process ended three days after that video

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Kiss was formed in New York City in 1973 by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss.
• The band traces its roots to Wicked Lester, a New York rock band led by Simmons and Stanley.
• Their first performance took place on January 30, 1973, at the Popcorn Club (later Coventry) in Queens.
• Casablanca Records signed the band on November 1, 1973, as the label's first act.

Members

• The four original members were Stanley (Starchild), Simmons (Demon), Frehley (Spaceman) and Criss (Catman).
• Eric Carr replaced Criss in 1980; Vinnie Vincent, Mark St. John and Bruce Kulick later held lead guitar.
• Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer formed the final lineup.

Career

• Kiss became one of America's most successful rock bands in the late 1970s, with a 1977 Gallup poll naming them the most popular band in America.
• The band unmasked in 1983 and reunited the original lineup for the 1996 reunion tour.
• The band announced its retirement after its final show at Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2023.
• Kiss was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 10, 2014.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Monster debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, the band's third consecutive album to reach the top three in the US
• The album also entered the top ten in Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Japan and Denmark
• It reached the top twenty in Spain, Hungary and the Netherlands
• The lead single Hell or Hallelujah received rock radio play and climbed into the middle reaches of the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart
• The second single Long Way Down went to radio on October 23, 2012

Records

• US debut at No. 3 on the Billboard 200
• Third consecutive US top-three album for the band
• Top ten in Canada, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Finland, Japan and Denmark
• Top twenty in Spain, Hungary and the Netherlands
• About 60,000 copies sold in the first week in the US
• About 120,000 copies sold in the first week outside the US

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The band first planned ten songs for the album, then said fifteen, and finally settled on thirteen.
• Thayer said the band aimed for a slightly heavier sound than Sonic Boom while recreating the feel of its earlier material.
• Simmons compared the album to a mix of Destroyer, Revenge and Sonic Boom.
• The band chose analog gear over digital, using 24-track tape and an old Trident board with as many tubes as possible.
• Stanley said in a January 2012 video that the album was nearly finished and that the recording process ended three days after the video.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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