KISSology Vol. 2 DVD Out August 14

(Reuters) Kiss will follow up its wildly successful 2006 DVD box set, "Kissology: Volume One, 1974-1977," on August 14 with a second volume chronicling 1978-1991.

"It's fantastic that 'Volume One' of 'Kissology' has done huge numbers, but does it surprise me? No, not at all," Kiss guitarist Tommy Thayer tells Billboard.com. "This is Kiss in its early raw form, four guys with the hunger and fire, aspiring to take on the world. All this great footage is finally available and it's exciting."

"Volume Two," to be distributed via VH1 Classic Records, will be comprised of three DVDs and a fourth disc that will vary by retailer. The first disc will feature a news special on the band from 1978 and an infamous 1979 interview with Tom Snyder, with other elements still pending, according to Kiss' Web site.

The second disc shows Kiss in transition, as it features the last promo video to with original drummer Peter Criss ("Shandi"). His replacement, Eric Carr, is behind the kit for a complete November 1980 concert at Australia's Sydney Showground. Also included are the only live renditions of material from the strangest studio album to bear the Kiss logo, "(Music From) The Elder," taped on the late-night show "Fridays" in 1982.

Disc three chronicles Kiss' comeback via a mammoth outdoor gig in Rio de Janeiro from June 1983, one of its last in makeup. Also included is Kiss' infamous "unmasking" on MTV from later that year, a handful of performances from the Lick It Up and Crazy Nights tours and a full 1990 show from Detroit.

Asked why "Volume 2" doesn't include any complete shows from the Lick It Up or Asylum tours, Thayer explains, "We chose the best songs from those concerts. Remember, the 'Volume Two' DVD is over seven hours long and from tour to tour, many of the same songs are played, so you have to pick the choice songs and moments without being too repetitive. When you create a DVD package there are time considerations -- you can only physically put so much on a DVD disc, and each volume of 'Kissology' is designed in advance to be a three-disc set."