Whether or not you consider Kiss to be a metal band, I don’t believe that anyone could argue that their 1982 album Creatures of the Night is a heavy metal record. And a damn fine one at that!

Here with the epic anthem “War Machine” from the Creatures of the Night record is the mighty Kiss.

The Hal Leonard Corporation has put out tons of guitar instructional videos over the years, and the 34th Volume in their Guitar Play-Along series will help you learn to play some KISS songs!

The Kiss – Guitar Play-Along Volume 34 DVD has 8 KISS songs that you can learn to play on guitar, which believe me, is a worthwhile endeavor. There’s various ways to watch and learn each tune; there’s a lesson given by a professional teacher, then the teacher performs each entire song along with recorded backing tracks. In this 100-minute DVD, you can play along with or without the guitar turned on, and there’s multiple viewing options as well: fret hand with tab, wide view with tab, pick & fret hand close-up, as well as other views.

I’m a KISS fanatic, so I’m pleased to have a most excellent reason to write about the band here and now: Amazon is currently selling a bunch of KISS albums for only $5 each in their MP3 album sale, 2,000 MP3 Albums For $5 Each, as well as several CDs for under $5 from their extensive catalog.

I’ve included all of the band’s studio albums released from 1974-1979 (all worth owning!), as well the amazing, awesome, must-have Ace Frehley KISS solo album (the only of the four solo albums really worth owning) as a few from the 1980s. All the listed CDs are “AutoRip,” which means if you purchase the CD, you’ll ALSO get the MP3 version for free; therefore, if the CD is cheaper than the MP3 version, then definitely get the CD, so you’ll get both formats for less. (Note – not every format for every title is on sale, but I’ve listed it here for consistency.) I’ve also included for each album the release date and some of its most famous tunes.

Kiss (1974)
CD $4.99 | MP3 $5.00
Strutter, Firehouse, Cold Gin, 100,000 Years, Black Diamond

Hotter Than Hell (1974)
CD 4.99 | MP3 $8.99
Hotter Than Hell, Parasite, Got to Choose, Let Me Go, Rock ‘n’ Roll

Dressed To Kill (1975)
CD $4.99 | MP3 $8.99
Rock and Roll All Nite, Rock Bottom, C’mon and Love Me, She

Destroyer (1976)
CD $4.99 | MP3 $9.49
Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, Beth, Shout It Out Loud

Rock and Roll Over (1976)
CD $4.99 | MP3 $8.99
Calling Dr. Love, I Want You, Ladies Room, Hard Luck Woman

Love Gun (1977)
CD $8.50 | MP3 $5.00
I Stole Your Love, Christine Sixteen, Love Gun, Shock Me, Plaster Caster

KISS – Ace Frehley (1978)
CD $8.99 | MP3 $5.00
New York Groove, Rip It Out, I’m in Need of Love, Snowblind

Dynasty (1979)
CD $7.54 | MP3 $5.00
I Was Made For Lovin’ You, 2000 Man, Hard Times, Sure Know Something

Creatures Of The Night (1982)
CD $7.34 | MP3 $5.00
I Love It Loud, I Still Love You, War Machine, Rock and Roll Hell

Animalize (1984)
CD $8.99 | MP3 $5.00
Heaven’s On Fire, Thrills in the Night

When it comes to matters pertaining to the band KISS, I always confess quite a level of bias, having been a fan since 1987 – and particularly a fan of late drummer Eric Carr. Besides this meaning I’ve been a member of the KISS army for 25 years now, I always keep my eyes peeled for something of interest when it pops up on the web.

Look no further than a video I stumbled across today that I’m sure even rock fans in general, drummers, and our regular readers here at Geeks of Doom may find will bring a smile to your face.

His name is Avery Molek, he is 5 years old, and a KISS fan. More than that he is also a drummer, and his ability at his very young age is remarkable. Continue reading to check out a video of Avery in action.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the death of Eric Carr, the drummer of KISS who helped keep the band moving forward during the Eighties. Carr, born Paul Caravello, passed away on November 24, 1991 at the age of 41 from complications stemming from his battle with cancer. The loss was colossal to both KISS and their fan base, but he is remembered.

Eric Carr first joined KISS in 1980, when the band decided that it was time for Peter Criss to leave the group. Or perhaps Peter decided it was time to leave… (choose your side of this anecdote). Either way, substance abuse had taken a major toll on original drummer Criss by this stage of the band that it was allegedly affecting his performances both on stage and in the studio.