by Peter Criss
First published 2013
Peter Criss strips away the makeup and tells his story without filters. The KISS drummer opens up about his journey from Brooklyn streets to stadium stages, confronting the demons that followed him through decades of fame. Criss examines the price of success as he battles addiction, navigates band tensions, and struggles to maintain his identity beneath the Catman persona. He reveals the backstage reality of one of rock's biggest acts while wrestling with personal relationships that crumbled under the weight of celebrity. The narrative moves between triumph and devastation as Criss faces his own reflection without the theatrical mask that made him famous. This memoir exposes the man behind the drums, showing how he fought to reclaim his life from the chaos of rock stardom.
Genres: addiction, 20th-century, autobiography, biography-memoir, music, 21st-century, musicians
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-growth, redemption, self-discovery
Setting: Brooklyn
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
Hardcover · Iron Pages Verlag
Content warnings: addiction, drug-use, substance-abuse