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The way Hotter Than Hell had been produced was straightly 70's: rusted sound, skeletal drums, puffing bass and general lack of arrangement is a typical problem that most of 70's/80's popular music had to endure, but it doesn't make this horrendous choice any more enjoyable. Fortunately, Kiss' second album is an extremely solid album per se, so this problem doesn't ultimately affect its value. Still a band that had to make a name, here Kiss deliver more of the same with less speed and more space: the change is welcome, and, when considering the sound, it makes the band more similar than Black Sabbath. Most listeners who were accustomed with the strictly British Glam/Hard Rock glimmer of Kiss' debut album will be disappointed, but fortunately there is hardly any filler here.

Gene Simmons sings like a drunken nostalgic on the pedophilic relationship that's discussed on "Goin' Blind", while Stanley sings with cynicism about a man who can't get love by a woman who's going to marry on opener "Got to Choose". In general, during the entire 33 minutes the listener gets Garage Rock that's conventional, yet hardly banal, mostly because of the surprisingly developed vocal harmonies ("All the Way") or funky rhythms ("Watchin' You").

Really, Hotter than Hell represents almost perfectly the band's excellent songwriting, and rivals Dressed to Kill in terms of enjoyabilty and consistence. Hardly Kiss had been constantly rousing and powerful as here.

Highlights:"Got to Choose", "Goin' Blind", "All the Way", "Watchin' You".