Hotter than hell! Japan to sell Kiss-inspired spicy buns

Bamboo charcoal bun with red pepper filling named after outlandish rockers' 1974 album.

They may not sell as many records as in their heydey but glam rockers Kiss have inspired a Japanese convenience store to concoct a spicy steamed bun to commemorate the band's 40th anniversary.

Circle K Sunkus promise Chili Tomato Man bread – set to go on sale nationwide on Feb 24 to mark the pyrotechnic group's tour of Japan – will be "Hotter than Hell", the title of a 1974 Kiss album.

The buns will be made with bamboo charcoal to give them a black exterior and red peppers and jalapeno powder for their "geki-kara" (extra spicy) taste.

But fans will have to be quick as only 300,000 of the hot buns, costing ¥130 (RM4) each, will be made, a spokesman told AFP recently, adding that the promotion would begin as Kiss kicked off their tour of Japan.

"The buns are based on the image of the band Kiss," he said.

"Black on the outside and hot and spicy on the inside," he added, in apparent reference to the group's heavy black and white make-up.

"Like the band, they have impact."

Kiss bassist Gene Simmons.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, who shot to notoriety in the 1970s with their outlandish live performances, featuring fire-breathing, blood-spitting and levitating drum kits, have sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

The American band, known for their extravagant costumes and stage pyrotechnics, made a comeback in the 1990s and have a loyal following in Japan, where nostalgia for glam rock acts means artists are able to charge mega-bucks for tickets to their concerts.

Kiss play five shows in Japan beginning in Nagoya on Feb 23 and winding up in Tokyo on March 3. – AFP Relaxnews