Destroyer sold like wildfire when it was released in 1976; it went gold (sales of 500,000 units) in just one month, and platinum (one million) within the year. Pretty darned impressive. The KISS Army grew and supported its "gods of thunder".
Sure, the album is the product of slick production and pretty much the whole kitchen sink thrown into the music. Piano, choir, orchestral strings, sound effects, and more. This draws criticism from some quarters, but it works for me. I do like the stripped down, raw sound of the earlier KISS albums - that's part of the appeal, yet this fourth studio release shows more painstaking work in the performance and in the studio post-production. We could say the band was maturing in its approach, or we could just put it down to a bigger budget and self-indulgence. Maybe all of the above. Bloated... or epic? You decide. I know how I feel about it.
For many years, I simply enjoyed the hell out of Destroyer, with no knowledge of, or care in the world about, the behind-the-scenes story of the album. KISS was one of my top bands as a teenager. I'd already worked my way through the more innocent pop/rock of The Monkees and Beatles, and the face-painted quartet were my first exposure to modern heavy rock. The first KISS album - the first by the band I ever saw, bought, and owned - presented me with that startling and enticing cover art showing the black and white kabuki-style face make-up. And the music had a dark, lean feel that carried over to the next two albums.
And take a look at the album cover of Destroyer... isn't that the coolest cover art ever? I've been having a tough time finding Destroyer on vinyl record in good condition - just for listening purposes, but I'd also like an extra copy to frame and display. It really looks that good. Fantasy artist Ken Kelly was hired to develop the now-famous painting of the band stomping (or dancing?) on the rubble of a destroyed city. I'd say he nailed it... this is by far one of my favourite album covers of all time. It's colourful - in a dark way, has a sense of movement that's exciting, and perfectly portrays the larger-than-life members of KISS.
Now on to the music: Destroyer has a bigger sound than what came before... guitars are sleek and massive, Paul Stanley's reverb-soaked vocals sound otherworldly, and the energetic drums are crisp and thundering.
Producer Bob Ezrin (who also worked with major acts like Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, and Deep Purple) had big ideas for Destroyer, and to increase its quality, he actually gave the musically-untrained KISS members lessons in basic music theory, and he really cracked the whip when the band was in the studio.
As for the songs themselves, well, we must give thanks to the musicians and songwriters outside of the band who contributed... this was the first time KISS enlisted talent outside the ranks. When I read a biography of this beloved group, I was crestfallen to learn that Ace Frehley was not responsible for all of the guitar parts on Destroyer. Ace was troubled with alcohol issues and either didn't show up for recording sessions or just wasn't up to the task sometimes. But I've come to terms with that, and the outside musicians, and can still enjoy the album as an exceptional piece of KISS history. The music is excellent no matter how you slice it.
Strangely, the first three singles off Destroyer - Flaming Youth, Shout it out Loud, and Detroit Rock City (my three faves on the album) - failed to push album sales further. What it took was the B-side ballad called Beth, which also gave KISS their first Top Ten song, to give the album a bump. It's one of their best-known songs, alongside Rock and Roll All Nite.
From the crushing guitars of first track Detroit Rock City to the tribally rhythmic drums of final song Do You Love Me, the album packs a punch. And little things, like piano on songs like Shout It Out Loud and calliope on Flaming Youth, add nice melodic and tonal accents and expand the palette of sound. Not to mention the use of orchestral strings on many of the songs.
Killer lead track Detroit Rock City riffs and screams with intent, then segues via a police siren (or a guitar simulation?) into King of the Night Time World, a seriously rockin' song that features a trademark melodic KISS guitar solo.
God of Thunder is an ominous track with Gene Simmons spewing his hellish vocals over a clawing drum and guitar rhythm. Chaotic and bizarre children's voices appear here and there, sort of adding to the creepiness.
Great Expectations is maybe the one tune on here that I'm not too crazy about; it is bogged down by the strings and choir, and feels like a weird hybrid of opera and light rock. And Gene's vocals... well, I think Paul might have been a better choice for that one.
Flaming Youth may be my favourite KISS song of all, from any album. Its message of youth rebellion really resonated with me when I was a teen, and those roaring guitars and marching drums seemed to signal a call to arms for KISS fans everywhere. I was on board. And that circus-like calliope (for a long time I thought it was an organ or something) serves as an effective contrast to the roaring electric guitars. Plus I really like the processed guitar sound on that ripping solo.
The spidery guitar intro to Sweet Pain repeats within the sing-along chorus. I love the bounding drum part that kicks in early in the guitar solo (not Ace, sadly). Not a great tune, but still fun and easy to enjoy.
Shout It Out Loud is right up there with Flaming Youth as fave KISS song. It's a timeless rock anthem, a classic of the era, of the genre, of music - period. The piano accompaniment is almost buried in the mix, but it does add depth to the recording. Love those vocals, too, with Paul hollering against the backing harmonies and ol' Gene growling here and there.
Beth is a guilty pleasure. Yeah, it's shmaltzy in its pretensions, but hell, it's a fine example of super-light pop of the 70's. Classic piano and string melodies combine to form something that endures even today... karaoke wouldn't be the same without it, right? Not that I do that thing.
Final track Do You Love Me is a catchy rock song that just begs for a sing-along on choruses. The bridge section is interesting with its compressed vocals (which sound like they're coming from a little AM radio) and chiming bells. The loud drums drive the tune toward its strange spacey conclusion.
So... maybe just one low point in there, but overall, Destroyer is a winner. I still get amped up listening to this album, all these years after I, as a teenager, first bought it on glorious hi-fi 8-track tape. I upgraded to CD long ago and that's where it stays until I can score this on LP record. This was an album meant for the vinyl medium. Some day.
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For a little more on my history with KISS, read on here.
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