Chris Epting at Noisecreep.com recently caught up with KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer. An excerpt from the interview is available below:

Noisecreep: It must feel good to finally have Monster in stores.

Thayer: "We're all super happy and super proud of Monster and we put a lot of time and effort into making it great. We approached it from a very organic and simple place, like a band just starting out. We were just hanging out at each other's houses, we arranged the songs at rehearsal then we'd go in and just knock them out. We didn't even do demos. We didn't have a label involved when we did it so there was no manager or A&R; person telling us what to do, it was just the four of us making the calls, so whatever was in our hearts made it onto the record."

Noisecreep: How has your role in KISS evolved over the years?

Thayer: "It has evolved a lot. My first dealing with KISS was an opening act on the Asylum tour in 1985 while I was in my band BLACK N' BLUE. We did about 24-25 shows with KISS and I got to know Paul and Gene and then the relationship with Gene evolved after that. He produced some of our records, and then I worked on some KISS albums after that. Black 'N Blue then ran its course and I was hired to work behind the scenes with KISS, managing different sorts of things. Then ten years ago things evolved again and I came on board as lead guitarist."

Noisecreep: Were you a big KISS fan as a kid?

Thayer: "Huge. I was a KISS fan when the first record came out – my KISS roots go back to the beginning. The first three records I was a huge fan of in junior high school - so everything has come full circle in my life. I saw them play twice in Portland, Ore. during that time growing up and it was phenomenal. Those shows made a big impact on me –– the attitude, the presentation and most of all, the music."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

KISS' new album Monster entered the US charts at #3 selling close to 60,000 copies. Monster has now charted in the following countries first week of release:

#2 - Norway

#3 - US

#4 - Sweden

#6 - Germany

#7 - Australia

#17 - Dutch

#21 - UK

In other news, PEZ Candy, Inc. announced that the highly anticipated PEZ KISS Gift Set has begun to ship to national retailers and will soon be available on retailer shelves.

The KISS gift set includes four dispensers, depicting the four members of the Hottest Band in The World and one six pack of candy. The Starchild, The Demon, The Catman, and The Spaceman are displayed in a reusable metal gift tin. The set will retail for approximately $12.99 US.

“Interest in the KISS gift tin has exceeded our expectations and we doubled our original production”, stated Joe Vittoria – CEO of PEZ Candy, Inc. “There have been several imitation KISS PEZ dispensers in the market over the years and we are pleased to launch this authentic set in time for the holiday season.”

"The Kiss merchandise juggernaught continues with the PeZ Kiss gift set and the Kiss Army will love them," says Janet Dwoskin, Vice President of Live Nation Merchandise