KISS: Destroyer (MELODIC HARD ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Kiss' fourth studio album is a significant change of direction in terms of production and arrangements. For this record, capitalizing on the success of "Alive!", the band enlists the services of producer Bob Ezrin, who is already very prominent, especially for his work with Alice Cooper. The album will be one of those that will also take the longest time to be recorded. Ezrin will give the band an impeccable sound, more diversified and wider than on the previous albums, adding here and there a little piano, some orchestrations and even some choirs, plus some sound effects that give the album a kind of cinematographic tint. The producer also will ask the musicians to play some parts a little more complex than usual, especially Peter Criss.

Thus, "Detroit Rock City", a tribute to the city of Detroit and to a dead fan on the road leading to one of their concerts, opens with a good minute of sound effects evoking a character who leaves in a car and listens to "Rock'n'Roll All Nite" on his car radio! Paul Stanley is imperial with his clear voice, enhanced by a generous reverb, which chants this fast anthem, where Simmons' clearly audible bass traces an immediately recognizable pattern. The solo is a beautiful melodic part harmonized with several guitars. This is also the case on "King Of The Night Time World", a song of the same vintage, faster but with a chorus just as memorable, connected to the first one by the sound of a car crashing. It is still Stanley who signs "God Of Thunder" but this time, the heaviest and most threatening song that the guitarist has ever composed, is sung by a dark and powerful Gene Simmons. The drums are huge, the sound effects of children screaming in the middle of the track add to its madness. Finally, "Great Expectations" reverses things, as a beautiful orchestral ballad with a choir, composed by Simmons and Ezrin (who quotes a passage from Beethoven's "pathetic" piano sonata!). Unusual for the band, but superb! The bassist-demon takes a less hoarse voice and shows here again that he is not as direct and brutal as one could think!

The suite is composed of more direct and shorter tracks. "Flaming Youth" and "Sweet Pain" are two moderately fast, very melodic tracks, between hard rock and pop and "Shout It Out Loud" is not to be presented anymore, with its harmonized riff, its very catchy chorus and its fast rhythm. The beautiful romantic ballad "Beth", written by Peter Criss in 68 with his friend Stan Penridge, is the big surprise. The drummer reportedly threatened to leave the band if it wasn't recorded... It was featured on the B-side of the single "Detroit Rock City" but became THE hit of the album at the radio, considerably widening the band's audience and taking off an album whose initially very good sales had quickly faded, perhaps because of its more sophisticated style. Finally, "Do You Love Me" is another hymn with a hammered middle tempo, between metal and pop, interpreted by a Stanley who is definitely very vocal on this album, with a delightful crescendo at the end.

After this experience, Kiss will go back to a more basic sound for "Rock'n'Roll Over" and "Love Gun" but will work again with Bob Ezrin for the very controversial and yet very good "The Elder" in 1981. That said, "Destroyer" is probably the most successful Kiss album, thanks to its really varied tracks, with very catchy riffs and choruses, without any filler, and its excellent production. The remastered CD version is a must ! - Official website

KISS

DESTROYER

MERCURY

MELODIC HARD ROCK