Description
Kiss – Creatures Of The Night – Half Speed Mastered 180 Gram Vinyl Record
First ever half-speed remaster. 180 Gram audiophile vinyl. Tip-On premium jacket
Released on October 25, 1982, Creatures of the Night was Kiss’s tenth studio album and their final release on Casablanca Records, dedicated to the late label founder Neil Bogart. The cover photograph—shot by Bernard Vidal—captures the band in full makeup and leather, signaling a return to their darker, heavier roots after experimenting with pop-oriented sounds on Dynasty and Unmasked. At 38 minutes and 47 seconds in length, the record stands as Kiss’s heaviest outing to date, a conscious effort to reclaim their hard-rock identity
Recording sessions for the album took place between July and September 1982 at Record Plant and Record One in Los Angeles, as well as Mediasound in New York City. Although Ace Frehley remains credited—and even appears on the cover—his actual contributions were minimal, with uncredited guitarist Vinnie Vincent performing most of the lead parts. This lineup shift foreshadowed Vincent’s official entry into the band shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, new drummer Eric Carr’s thunderous, John Bonham–inspired style replaced Peter Criss’s jazz-inflected approach, further cementing the album’s aggressive sonic thrust
Creatures of the Night delivers a relentless blend of heavy metal and hard rock. The title track opens with a galloping riff and ominous chorus—embodying Stanley’s vision of the night as a time of uninhibited freedom—while “Saint and Sinner” and “Keep Me Comin’” continue the album’s muscular pace. The sole ballad, “I Still Love You,” unfolds in a darker minor key, its layered harmonies and brooding lyricism marking a stark contrast to Kiss’s earlier power-ballad efforts. Tracks like “Rock and Roll Hell” and “War Machine” showcase Carr’s power-driven drumming and Vincent’s searing solos, creating some of the band’s heaviest anthems of the era
Despite critical praise for its return to form, Creatures of the Night initially peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200—outperforming Music from “The Elder” (No. 75) but falling short of Kiss’s mid-’70s heights—and did not achieve gold certification until May 9, 1994. Retrospectively, the album has earned significant acclaim: Kerrang! and Guitar World both ranked it No. 5 on their 1982 year-end lists, and in 2022 Guitar World placed it No. 4 among the “25 Greatest Rock Guitar Albums of 1982.” Its delayed commercial success and enduring critical esteem underscore how the record’s raw power and dark atmosphere resonated long after its release
Over the decades, Creatures of the Night has come to be viewed as a pivotal moment in Kiss’s evolution. It not only presaged the non-makeup era beginning with Lick It Up (1983) but also reaffirmed the band’s credentials within the burgeoning heavy-metal scene. Today, the record stands as a testament to Kiss’s ability to reinvent themselves and to harness the unleashed power of rock at its most primal
Brand new, never played and still in the factory plastic sealed
Track Listing
Creatures Of The Night
Saint And Sinner
Keep Me Comin’
Rock And Roll Hell
Danger
I Love It Loud
I Still Love You
Killer
War Machine
