A must-have for KISS fans.
Masterminded by respected Rock journalist and KISS watcher Mitch Lafon, this album is a project put together to raise money for, as its title suggests, cancer care.
'AWWH' not only features two discs, forty tracks and musicians from (among others) Dokken, Great White, XYZ, Tesla, Cinderella, Killer Dwarfs, Guns 'n' Roses, SUN, TNT, Little Caesar, Burning Rain, Impera, Slaughter, Keel, L.A. Guns, Firehouse, Honeymoon Suite, Accept, Bonfire, Kill Devil Hill and Dio, but also a host of artists with genuine links to KISS themselves. Peter Criss collaborator Phil Naro pops up numerous times, Bob Kulick (Ace Frehley studio stand-in and brother of ex-KISS guitarist Bruce) helps out Impera on their version of the Paul Stanley solo track Goodbye', while John Regan and Tod Howarth, both ex-of Frehley's Comet also add their talents. Not enough? Try an adapted Eric Carr demo 'Eyes Of Love', where the much missed drummer sings fantastically, or a demo of 'Outerspace' by Shredmill which was later covered by Space Ace on his 'Anomaly' album!
All eras of KISS are covered, with Regan, Bill Leverty, Kevin Valentine, and Russ Dwarf romping through early classic 'Deuce', while Don Dokken and Tommy Denander surprisingly turn in one of the few clunkers in the shape of a lukewarm 'Cold Gin'. Jeff Paris, Troy Lucketta, Eric Brittingham and Jeff LaBar bring things right up to date through a pulsating 'Shout Mercy' from the 'Monster' album, while DDrive featuring Naro deliver a surging take on 'Psycho Circus'.
A few curve balls also arrive, Brighton Rock providing a phenomenal acoustic take on the normally bristling 'Creatures Of The Night', Canadian Progsters Mystery turning the Gene Simmons solo album track 'See You Tonight' into a beautiful ballad with the help of singer Todd Farhood, Howarth and Regan revisit their Frehley's Comet highlight 'Breakout' in fine style, Druckfarben do a great reworking of the underrated 'Nowhere To Run', and Bonfire hammer their way across a live version of 'Sword And Stone', a song originally written and demoed by Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick, which Bonfire released as a single.
Really I could go on but hopefully by now you are getting the picture...
I have many KISS tribute and covers albums and by far 'A World With Heroes...' stands as the best. Not every track is fantastic (c'mon, there are forty to choose from), but the strike rate is remarkably high. Seek it out, listen to cracking music and help a great cause. What could be better?
Stop-Press: 'AWWH...' is now also available from iTunes with eleven bonus cuts, including Peter Criss Band demos from 1991 (featuring Criss himself), while Regan, Howarth and Richie Scarlet provide 2013 mixes of the Vinnie Vincent written 'Back On The Streets' and 'I'm An Animal', which both originate from Ace Frehley solo sessions. Making a must-have for KISS fans even more essential!
Contact Mike Lafon at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Steven Reid
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