Are Kiss metal?

[Hammer of Might]

most people would probably say Kiss are not metal, but for me they are a "heavy metal" band, in the same way that you might call Rainbow or Thin Lizzy metal in some ways.

I was thinking about it because metal archives does not list them on their site, and yet lists Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, even Deep Purple. While some of Kiss's music is clearly simplistic rock-based stuff, they also have many tracks which are just as 'metallic' as many other early bands, and perhaps it is their glam image and mainstream reputation which makes people think of them as a basic rock band rather than metal.

Listen to the Creatures of the Night album, for me that is classic heavy metal, albeit with a strong 'rock and roll' undercurrent.

For me Kiss are a heavy metal band, based simply on the music style in many of their songs.

 

[Erik]

no. no way.

 

[Hammer of Might]

well done. now say something vaguely articulate.

 

[Erik]

kiss is commercial hard rock with simplistic rock-derived riffing and lyrics about girls and love and really has no elements whatsoever in common with heavy metal except guitar distortion as opposed to bands like rainbow which with narrative structures, metal style riffing and lyrics about dragons rings and queens laid the foundation for plenty of heavy and power metal bands to come

edit: thin lizzy is notable in heavy metal history because everyone (judas priest, iron maiden) copied their twin lead guitar style i don't really agree that they should be on metal-archs though, but w/e

 

[Cold Gin]

I would rather say hard rock. There are some albums, as mentioned Creatures, Lick it up or Revenge you might call metal, but overall, no, Kiss are not really heavy metal. On the other hand, it is a thin line between metal and hard rock and everybody draws it somewhere else. I would also not count Deep Purple as metal.

 

[Erik]

I would also not count Deep Purple as metal.

NOBODY GONNA TAKE MY CAR ITS GONNA RACE YOU TO THE GRO-UND
NOBODY GONNA TAKE MY CAR ITS GONNA BREAK THE SPEED OF SOU-UND
OOOOOH IT'S A KILLIN MACHINE etc ALRIGHT HOLD TIGHT I'M A HIGHWAY STAAAR!

^ heavy metal.

 

[Hammer of Might]

That's better, wasn't so hard was it Erik. But of course it has "elements in common" with heavy metal, and more. Some of their lyrics may be about "girls and love", but the lyrics don't completely shape the genre of a band, and besides they also have plenty of other lyrics. See several Creatures of the Night tracks.

Yes some of their riffage is "simplistic rock-derived" stuff, but so were a lot of seminal early hard rock/metal bands, and anyway riffs don't have to be uber-complex to be effective or indeed metal. See a lot of Motorhead songs for example.

Weird that you think that if a band sings about "dragons rings and queens" they are therefore more metal than other bands.

 

[Erik]

That's better, wasn't so hard was it.

fuck you i wont do what you tell me

Yes some of their riffage is "simplistic rock-derived" stuff, but so were a lot of seminal early hard rock/metal bands, and anyway riffs don't have to be uber-complex to be effective or indeed metal. See a lot of Motorhead songs for example.

so when the fuck did i ever say motörhead was metal

also the key word is not simplistic, it is "rock"

Weird that you think that if a band sings about "dragons rings and queens" they are therefore more metal than other bands.

lmao

well at least it's not "HOT ROCK ROCKIN HOT I WANT TO PUT MY LOVE ROD IN YOUR LOVE GROTTO" makin those up on the spot but they are probably actual kiss lyrics to some song

 

[Hammer of Might]

So now you're a Rage Against the Machine fan and a Motorhead sceptic. Oh dear.

 

[Erik]

So now you're a Rage Against the Machine fan and a Motorhead sceptic. Oh dear.

you're not particularly bright are you

 

[Hammer of Might]

That's rich, seeing as you seemed to think I was accusing you of mentioning Motorhead simply by using them as an example.

 

[Barking Pumpkin]

well done. now say something vaguely articulate.

wtf no this is GMD

 

[Erik]

well it's clearly not helping your argument when you are using other bands i don't necessarily consider metal to support calling another band metal

 

[Hammer of Might]

I would rather say hard rock. There are some albums, as mentioned Creatures, Lick it up or Revenge you might call metal, but overall, no, Kiss are not really heavy metal.

Well this is fair enough. I would agree they are not an out and out metal band through their whole catalogue, but in terms of the general style and feel to their music, I'd say they're musically just as much 'heavy metal' as other bands like Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, and other hard rock/pseudo-metal.

 

[Erik]

Well this is fair enough. I would agree they are not an out and out metal band through their whole catalogue, but in terms of the general style and feel to their music, I'd say they're musically just as much 'heavy metal' as other bands like Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Rainbow, and other hard rock/pseudo-metal.

well you are obviously not listening hard enough

 

[Hammer of Might]

well it's clearly not helping your argument when you are using other bands i don't necessarily consider metal to support calling another band metal

whether you consider them metal or not is irrelevant, my point was that riffs dont have to be really complex or detached from simplistic rock to be effective or have a metallic feel, and I used Motorhead as an example of this - a band who would definitely come under the 'metal' umbrella definition to most people. So what was your point.

 

[Hammer of Might]

well you are obviously not listening hard enough

well done. now say something vaguely articulate.

 

[Cold Gin]

kiss is commercial hard rock with simplistic rock-derived riffing and lyrics about girls and love and really has no elements whatsoever in common with heavy metal except guitar distortion as opposed to bands like rainbow which with narrative structures, metal style riffing and lyrics about dragons rings and queens laid the foundation for plenty of heavy and power metal bands to come

Me again. I disagree with parts of above. First of all, in the end everybody who wants to earn money with music and releases for the public available albums is commercial. But I don´t want to sound smarter than I am, don´t worry . I know what you mean with that comment, but I still disagree. Commercial Hard Rock the way you mean it is Bon Jovi in my eyes, not Kiss. Also, lyrics are to me no criteria for metal or hard rock, not at all. One thing I agree though, Kiss is simple structured music. They say themselves, there are better musicians on this planet than Kiss members. However, also that is not a criteria for a genre.

 

[Erik]

Commercial Hard Rock the way you mean it is Bon Jovi in my eyes, not Kiss.

um... the members of kiss publically state in interviews and whatnot that the only reason kiss exists is to make money? how much more commercial can you possibly get?

 

[Hammer of Might]

well that's besides the point, we're talking about their music style.