At 80 Years Old, Peter Criss Refuses To Not Rock!

The original KISS Catman’s first solo album in almost 20 years!

When people think of KISS without context, Gene Simmons, the fire-breathing, blood-spitting demon who convinced shocked parents that the group’s name was an acronym for ‘Knights in Satan’s Service’, first comes to mind. Nonetheless, the group’s biggest hit was sung not by Simmons, but by the group's drummer, Peter Criss.

Criss played in numerous Brooklyn area bands before becoming the Catman in the world's hottest band. His jazz-rooted drumming (he was a student of Gene Krupa), and Rod Stewart-esque vocals were a unique facet to KISS’s early sound, lending themselves to raucous cuts from the band’s catalog, like “Black Diamond,” “Strange Ways,” and “Hooligan.”

Though critics often described KISS as "an American Black Sabbath", the symphonic ballad “Beth”, co-written and sang by Criss became a Gold-certified Top 10 single and won the 1977 “Favorite Song” People’s Choice Award.

Eric Singer wore Criss's makeup throughout the last 20+ years of KISS's touring life but Criss was and always will be an integral part of the group’s blueprint, conceiving one of the four integral characters and influencing a generation of drummers that followed.

Peter Criss has led a sporadic solo career for almost 50 years. His 1978 eponymous solo debut—released as part of a marketing campaign in which each KISS member simultaneously issued a solo album— reflected his Motown-inspired R&B roots. After leaving KISS, while still signed to Casablanca, he released Out of Control in 1980, followed a few years later by Let Me Rock You, both of which, aimed at a more adult contemporary audience, were commercial failures.

He re-emerged in 1994, formed a new band called Criss, and released Cat #1, which was a hard rock callback to the classic KISS sound. After an on-and-off reunion stint with KISS, 2007’s One for All leaned more into acoustic-based easy listening. Peter had been promising fans for years that he would release a more formal rock album. Now, in 2025, after being a recent Kennedy Center Honoree and celebrating his 80th birthday, Peter Criss has a new (and second eponymous) album.

***Because Peter Criss released an eponymous solo album in 1978 I’ll refer to this new album as Peter Criss (2025).***

Peter Criss (2025) dates back to 2008, during which time he collaborated with co-writer Mike McLaughlin, a guitarist from the Criss '90's era band. Further work was put on hold until the COVID-19 pandemic, when, at the insistence of close colleagues, Peter began revisiting the shelved recordings. Co-producer Barry Pointer deconstructed the 2008 recordings, retaining the original drum tracks, and re-recorded Peter’s vocals with newly penned lyrics. Instrumentally, guitarists Mike McLaughlin and John 5, bassist Billy Sheehan, and keyboardist Paul Shaffer (!) contributed newly arranged parts, along with backing vocalists Dennis & Sharon Collins and Cat Manning. An album that took almost 20 years to arrive in its finished state lives up to Peter Criss’ rocking promise.

“Rock, Rockin’, Rock & Roll” is a lively album opener with an old-timey spirit reminiscent of “Hooked on Rock ‘n’ Roll,” a track from Peter Criss’ 1978 solo debut. That feel is short-lived with “In The Dark” locking the album in with Billy Sheehan's sensational bass solo during the instrumental break. Mike McLaughlin and John 5’s metallic guitars on “For The Money” and “Justice” respectively, crunch through the speakers; the former’s Motown-influenced background vocals twisting the track into a fascinating hybrid. “Murder” and “Cheaper to Keep Her” share tempo similarities, and the distinctive rhythm guitar strumming patterns give the tracks their driving force. Paul Shaffer’s Hammond B3 part on “Walking on Water” takes the track to further uplifting heights. Peter’s eerie vocal delivery on the Alice Cooper-esque “Creepy Crawlers” matches the track’s spooky ante, making it an easy contender for future Halloween playlists. The more radically styled tracks are towards the album’s backend: the bluesy, swinging “Sugar” and the country western “Rubberneckin’.” 

Analytical listeners will take delight in some of the KISS easter eggs sprinkled throughout Peter Criss (2025). Lyrically, Peter references his Catman persona & the KISS song title “Nothin’ to Lose” on “Rock, Rockin’, Rock & Roll” and the album title Dressed to Kill on “Cheaper to Keep Her.” It’s also obvious that the drum intro to “For the Money” is the same as “Rock and Roll All Nite.” KISS references aside, Peter found streetwise lyrical inspiration in how legal tender is the root of corruption (“For The Money”) and senseless acts of violence (“Murder” and “Justice”). One that hits close to home is “Walking on Water,” a track about Peter overcoming his battle with male breast cancer in 2008. Even tracks that have the most off-the-wall subject matters work, such as “Sugar,” a Southern term for multi-faceted sweetness, and “Rubberneckin’,” an ode to truck-driving roadies.

The rollout for Peter Criss (2025) has almost made the album frustratingly inaccessible, and the fault lies in its distribution by Flatiron Recordings. When it was announced, Flatiron posted physical and digital preorders on their Bandcamp page, and other retailers followed suit. Working on the Bandcamp platform became an issue when Flatiron set the price of a digital download of the album to $1,000 (yes, you read that correctly). Peter requested that his account be disabled, which also resulted in the deletion of the “Creepy Crawlers” music video from YouTube.

As of writing, the only way to access Peter Criss digitally is to download it via iTunes, which will play on Apple Music; there are far worse things to spend $9.99 on. Bandcamp made good on their physical preorders, and there were plenty of copies up for grabs at Peter’s in-store appearance at NYC’s Rough Trade, but it left Amazon and other retailers in the dust. If your local record store has a rabid KISS fanbase for its clientele, you'll be lucky to find the three vinyl variants (available in black/white/silver) that, when lined up together, spell out ‘CATMAN’ on the spine. After scouring around numerous online retailers, I tracked down a white vinyl copy, and I was more than eager to tackle what many people in the KISS fan circles were buzzing about. 

The guitar panned to the far left on “Rock, Rockin’ Rock & Roll” established a spacious soundstage that didn’t let down throughout this pressing. Some of the EQ rode predominantly in the mids and highs, but the bottom-end output improved as the album progressed. Instead of the drums typically providing a backseat rhythm, instances where they’re mixed higher, such as on “In The Dark” and “Justice,” make it a more integral part of the song’s arrangement, and the rest of the supporting musicians work around it. Each guitar part on “For The Money” is panned on opposite ends, which enables them to be singled out rather than blend into the mix. Both Peter’s filtered vocals and the lucid guitars on “Walking on Water” give the track its spiritual charm, and the choruses explode dramatically. “Creepy Crawlers” is a sonic highlight, where the tom fills bounce around the speakers, and the ominous bass builds this tension before erupting into a rich texture of Hammond B3 and guitars. Some of the cleaner tones amongst the electric and acoustic guitars have superb tonality on “Sugar.” 

Despite the means of hunting down a copy (but let’s face it, the gratifying facet of consuming vinyl is the thrill of the hunt) or having to suffice to specific streaming platforms, Peter Criss (2025) holds up well as a straightforward rock album. It’s also special because this is fresh off the heels of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley’s passing in October 2025. KISS’ last album was in 2012, so it’s assuring to see one of the original four release new music they stand behind instead of letting it be a subtle footnote as most heritage rock acts tour the summer shed circuit for the umpteenth time. At the astounding age of 80, the Catman hasn’t exercised all of his nine lives!