Lick It Up

Lick It Up puts thick guitar riffs, a straight-ahead beat and the contrasting voices of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons up front on KISS’s eleventh album. Valuing the immediacy of the songs over decoration, everything heads toward the moment of singing along with the crowd — a symbolic record released alongside the band’s new, unmasked look. From the instrumental opener “Exciter” to the release of the title track “Lick It Up,” the wildness of “All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose” and the tenacious groove of “Fits Like a Glove,” the songs are built to catch fire instantly live, while a speeder like “Young and Wasted” adds drive. In a time of great change, the record firmly reaffirms KISS’s rock-and-roll core and strongly marks the band’s fresh start. It is worth noting that, having bared their faces, the sheer strength of the music stood out all the more. Stripped of decoration and won on pure song power, it is a fulfilling mid-1980s record.