Chris: No need for a long dissertation on such an uneven contest. Unmasked = KISS as far away from what they do best. KISS = What they do best. Winner: KISS
Rich: Maybe I should stop choosing with my heart and more my head in these battles. As much as I enjoy the poppy styling of Unmasked and its comic book cover, being one cassette that I coveted in years of youth spent in record stores dreaming of one day having money to buy. Unmasked finds it’s way into my playlists from time to time, but never does the self titled first release, which I voted against in the first round. All that aside, I think I have to choose KISSfor the killer cuts like 100,000 Years, Deuce, Black Diamond and Cold Gin that even though I’m rather sick of hearing them at every concert and nothing else, they are absolute KISS staples that launched the phenomenon as we know it today. Winner: KISS
AAron: I think this goes without saying, but I’ll give my say anyhow. Like it’s predecessor, Dynasty, Unmasked shows a band trying to go in two different directions with Gene and Paul striving toward hit singles and pop accolades and the Criss-less and outnumbered Ace Frehley clinging to the harder edged Rock music that brought them to the dance. Completely opposite of that is the ’74 debut, with all four members scratching and clawing with their eyes on the same prize. You just can’t beat that, and Unmasked just can’t beat KISS. Winner: KISS
BJ: I like Unmasked a lot, but I have to give this one to the first album for obvious reasons (Strutter, Black Diamond). No 1-10 scale this time! Winner: KISS
Wally: Yeah, I enjoy the strong pop songs found on Unmasked and Ace Frehley unloaded some very cool songs on this one. “Two Sides Of The Coin”, “Talk To Me” and “Torpedo Girl” are really fun rock n roll songs but they drew a formidable opponent in the debut KISS album. Winner: KISS
Round 2 Game 4 sees Unmasked get trampled by the debut KISS album. Score 5 – 0
