Renowned for its theatrical live performances and distinctive black and white face paint, the New York City-based glam rock outfit KISS quickly rose to prominence after releasing its self-titled debut album in 1974. While various media outlets have portrayed the group as a Satan-worshiping entity hellbent on corrupting the youth of America, the band honed a hard rock sound and flamboyant style that translated seamlessly onto the stage with its elaborate stunts, which often included smoking guitars, blood spitting, fire breathing, levitating drum kits and various forms of pyrotechnics. Having developed into one of the most recognizable musical franchises in the world with founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons at the helm, KISS continues to grow its world-wide fan base with new records such as 2012's Monster.