Animalize

Twelfth studio album by American hard rock band KISS

***Animalize*** is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Kiss. It was released on September 17, 1984, by Mercury Records. The album marked the only appearance by lead guitarist Mark St. John, who replaced Vinnie Vincent in April 1984.

## Background

At the time of the album's recording, vocalist/bassist Gene Simmons was pursuing a career in acting and was largely absent from Kiss. Vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley later said, "I felt abandoned when it came time to make *Animalize*. After informing me without any warning or discussion that he wouldn't be around for the album, Gene went into a studio and crapped out some demos as fast as he could. Then he was off to do a movie." Stanley had become Kiss' defacto leader and he was left responsible for songwriting, production and direction of the new album. After losing two founding members and releasing two unsuccessful albums (1980's *Unmasked* and 1981's *Music from "The Elder"*) that largely alienated their fanbase, the sessions for *Animalize* saw the band back on a commercial and critical winning streak with 1982's *Creatures of the Night* and 1983's *Lick It Up* both surpassing sales expectations. With the departure of another member in lead guitarist Vinnie Vincent and the hiring of a complete unknown in Mark St. John to replace him, *Animalize* saw the band at a crossroads of sorts.

Entering the studio to record *Animalize*, newly hired lead guitarist St. John clashed often with his new bandmates, with Carr saying years later that St. John's talent led to a very arrogant demeanor in the studio. A disagreement over a bass part which bassist Simmons had asked St. John to record for the album left both Simmons and Carr furious with the new guitarist, with Stanley and Simmons later taking St. John aside to warn him about his bad attitude. According to St. John himself, Stanley and Simmons got "all kind of weird" over what he was recording in the studio, with Stanley saying that his playing had no structure and that the guitarist was "just puking notes" and could never play the same thing twice. Bruce Kulick, brother of former Kiss-collaborator Bob Kulick, was eventually brought into the studio to play lead guitar on the tracks "Murder in High-heels" and "Lonely Is the Hunter".

Along with songwriter Desmond Child, Stanley gave the band its biggest hit single in years with "Heaven's on Fire". On top of production, Stanley claims to have personally handled everything from naming the album to marketing and "cajoling MTV".

St. John was forced to temporarily leave Kiss before the subsequent tour after being diagnosed with reactive arthritis. The group again turned to Bruce Kulick as a temporary replacement for St. John for the first two months of the tour in Europe. St. John himself later confessed that his health was not the reason he left the band. "The arthritis thing was really a cover up for the other reasons, you know what I'm trying to say?", he said later. He referred to his inability to get along with his new Kiss bandmates as "a meeting of East meets West type of thing".

Eventually, St. John played two full shows and one partial show with the band during the American leg of the tour in late November 1984. However, it quickly became apparent that Kulick gelled with the band's personalities and playing styles better than St. John; by December 1984, St. John had been officially fired and replaced on a permanent basis by Kulick, making him the third lead guitarist to exit the group in only two years.

## Reception

### Commercial

In a continuation of Kiss' commercial resurgence which had begun with 1983's *Lick It Up*, *Animalize* was certified platinum by the RIAA. It was the biggest-selling Kiss album since 1979's *Dynasty*.[*citation needed*]

"Heaven's on Fire" became the biggest hit from the album (as well as one of the only songs to survive on the band's live setlist after the '80s), and its music video received heavy MTV rotation. It is also the only music video appearance of Mark St. John.[*citation needed*]

### Critical

*Animalize* has been described as "Kiss' most aggressive album ever" with some tracks "bordering on metal territory with their heavily distorted, uptempo attack." Critics and longtime fans, however, criticized the band's continued move towards a glam metal image during the *Animalize* tour. Additionally, Gene Simmons' relationships with his bandmates were at an all time low during this period. Most of this centered around his perceived lack of commitment to the band and his preoccupation with numerous outside projects, including producing and managing other rock groups such as Black 'n Blue (of whom Tommy Thayer was a member at the time), and co-starring in the hit 1984 movie *Runaway*.

*Guitar World* magazine later placed the album on their list of "New Sensations: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1984".

## Track listing

### Side A

1. I've Had Enough (into the Fire)
2. Heaven's on Fire
3. Burn Bitch Burn
4. Get All You Can Take
5. Lonely is the Hunter

#### Side B

1. Under the Gun
2. Thrills in the Night
3. While the City Sleeps
4. Murder in High Heels