"Nothing to Lose," "Firehouse" and "Cold Gin"--a Side One trilogy that would make Alice Cooper proud--provides over ten minutes of steady, stompin' rock & roll with an allenveloping forcefulness. The manic "Deuce" makes fine music for crushing skulls and "Strutter" prominently displays the lead guitar talents of Ace Frehley, an unmistakable graduate of the Buck Dharma school of frenetic fretting.

An exceptional album, Kiss could have been even better had the group incorporated more of their concert sound into the recording studio. Onstage they rain a Black Sabbath-like fury, but here they sound more like a cross between Deep Purple and the Doobie Brothers. Though Frehley is an integral component of the stage show, here his guitar is used sparingly, particularly on "Cold Gin," where a solo could've propelled the tune to a higher plateau. A firm commitment to their stage sound (as in "Deuce" and portions of "Black Diamond") could well insure excellence--a course worth pursuing.