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Kiss Destroyer Release Date: 1976 Running Time: 34:03 Label: Polygram The pressure was on Kiss for their fifth release, and the band knew it. Their breakthrough, Alive!, was going to be hard to top, so instead of trying to recreate a concert setting in the studio, they went the opposite route. Destroyer is one of Kiss' most experimental studio albums, but also one of their strongest and most interesting. Alice Cooper/Pink Floyd producer Bob Ezrin was on hand, and he strongly encouraged the band to experiment -- there's extensive use of sound effects (the album's untitled closing track), the appearance of a boy's choir ("Great Expectations"), and an orchestra-laden, heartfelt ballad ("Beth"). But there's plenty of Kiss' heavy thunder rock to go around, such as the demonic "God of Thunder" and the sing-along anthems "Flaming Youth," "Shout It Out Loud," "King of the Night Time World," and "Detroit Rock City" (the latter a tale of a doomed concert-goer, complete with violent car-crash sound effects). But it was the aforementioned Peter Criss ballad, "Beth," that made Destroyer such a success; the song was a surprise Top Ten hit (it was originally released as a B-side to "Detroit Rock City"). Also included is a song that Nirvana would later cover ("Do You Love Me?"), as well as an ode to the pleasures of S&M, "Sweet Pain." Destroyer also marked the first time that a comic-book illustration of the band appeared on the cover, confirming that the band was transforming from hard rockers to superheroes. Greg Prato, All Music Guide Tracks: Title Composer Time 1 Detroit Rock City Ezrin, Stanley 5:17 2 King of the Night Time World Ezrin, Fowley, Stanley, Anthony 3:21 3 God of Thunder Stanley 4:17 4 Great Expectations Ezrin, Simmons 4:24 5 Flaming Youth Stanley, Simmons, Frehley, Ezrin 3:00 6 Sweet Pain Simmons 3:21 7 Shout It out Loud Ezrin, Stanley, Simmons 2:50 8 Beth Ezrin, Penridge, Criss 2:49 9 Do You Love Me Ezrin, Stanley, Fowley 3:40 10 [Untitled] 1:25 Releases: Year Type Label 1990 CD Polygram 2007 CD Universal Distribution 2006 CD Universal Distribution 1997 CS Casablanca 1997 CD Casablanca 1999 CD Mercury 2007 CD Universal Distribution 2006 CD Mercury 1987 CD Casablanca 2007 LP Universal Distribution 1997 CD Mercury

Group Members: Bruce Kulick Eric Carr Peter Criss Mark St. John Ace Frehley More >> Similar Artists: Van Halen Queen The Runaways Rainbow Aerosmith More >>

Influenced By: Sweet New York Dolls Led Zeppelin Slade Jimi Hendrix More >> Followers: Redd Kross Marilyn Manson Y&T Monster Magnet Ratt More >>

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