Original KISS Drummer PETER CRISS Says He Wants To Make His Next Solo Album 'Heavier'

Original KISS drummer Peter Criss is continuing work on a new rock solo album, which he promises will be "heavier" than the stuff he has done in the past.

Criss's last solo CD, titled "One for All", came out in 2007. Peter produced the album himself for the first time, and was joined by guest musicians that included keyboardist Paul Shaffer and bassist Will Lee of "Late Night with David Letterman". The album featured a range of styles, from rock and jazz to blues and Broadway, and included covers of "What a Difference a Day Makes" and "Send in the Clowns".

Speaking to an audience of fans at a question-and-answer session hosted by VH1 Classic "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk on November 28 at the "All Things That Rock" festival in Oaks, Pennsylvania, Criss stated about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to "One for All" (see video below): "I've been sitting on a record … I'd done this thing, like, five years ago and I'm still messing with it. I'm not done, because I don't wanna rush it."

He continued: "The sad thing is, you put music out today, and you download it immediately.

"Rock 'n' roll's not dead — I don't wanna hear that, that rock's dead. It's far from dead. But it's just not maybe doing what it used to do. So I'm gonna release, probably, singles again. Like a 45, with two songs instead of putting out 13. Because it just isn't fair for the artist — you put out your songs, you download it and there's really nothing going on."

Criss added that he has been working with former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, but offered no details about a possible release date for his next CD. "I wanna take my time with it," he said. "I'm constantly putting time into it. I want it to be heavier than I've usually done my stuff, and then I'll get, 'It's too heavy. You should go back and do light stuff.' Because fans are never happy. You guys aren't! No matter what we ever do, you're like, 'Oh, that sucks. I want this.' [Or] 'He's playing that ballad shit again.'"

After weeks of bad-mouthing each other in the press, the four original members of KISS were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, with all four — Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss — delivering warm, nostalgic and even sweet-natured speeches that put aside the simmering tensions for at least 12 minutes.

KISS did not perform — the Hall Of Fame wanted the original quartet only to play, while Simmons and Paul Stanley insisted on the current lineup — which also includes guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — performing as well. In the end nobody won that battle.