During a recent conversation with Metal Injection, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian talked about the impact of KISS on his music career and recalled how they were the biggest band in the world.
KISS has impacted the rock music scene with their music and performances, especially in the 70s. The band has been primarily known for performing with distinctive face paintings and outfits. There was a theatrical atmosphere in KISS’ stage performances with their incredible live shows and make-up. They remained a mystery until the ‘unmasked’ era in the 80s.
KISS has impressed many musicians, and Anthrax’s Scott Ian was one of them. Ian mentioned in a previous conversation how he was addicted to KISS when he was a child, and his parents were not satisfied with it. He admired all aspects of KISS, including their shows being in between horror and comical sides.
In a recent conversation, Scott Ian stated that KISS had the most powerful performances in the world while talking about the 70s. According to him, KISS was like an Alice Cooper with four people mixing music and horror in the live shows. As the guitarist mentioned, KISS’ continued the mystery without showing their faces for a long time was one of the reasons that made them the biggest band in the world in the 70s. Ian said that having a chance to watch KISS’ live show was the most impactful memory of his childhood.
Scott Ian explained KISS’ impact on the 70s:
“Look, you had Alice Cooper, of course, who was around doing the horror theme and combining it with rock and putting on the big show. But now you had four Alice Coopers. It was like you had the whole band involved and the fact that you never saw their faces. You could go pick up Creem magazine, and you’d see a photo of Alice Cooper without his stage makeup on.
So it was definitely more of like it’s a show, whereas KISS kept the secret as long as they could, especially in the 70s. I mean, what a big deal that was as a kid when the magazines would do those articles like “KISS Unmasked,” and you’d see them like this covers half his face. I mean, it was such a big deal.
The mystique was huge. And I mean, look, in 1977, there was no bigger, and as far as I know, there was nothing bigger on the planet than Kiss. I saw them twice that year, in February ’77 and again in December of ’77. And it really just was the biggest, most important thing for me as a kid. It was just mind-blowing.”
Many musicians and audiences have still been impressed by KISS’ unique style and performances. Scott Ian expressed his admiration for KISS’ theatrical shows, which used horror and comic elements by mixing in music and stating that the band was the biggest thing in the world in the 70s.
