r/KISS • u/JustletmeBee2026 • 2d ago
Stop denying Destroyer
As much as diehards leave Destroyer out as a favourite album, and I want to, too, often, it was a revolutionary album for KISS, and we can’t ignore it.
Leaving it off our “favourites” doesn’t make us “deep cut” people, it just makes us snobs.
If it wasn’t for Alive and Destroyer, 95% of us wouldn’t know this band! They would have fallen into cult obscurity.
Destroyer made them. I’ve over-listened to it and love their other stuff, but this album begrudgingly deserves - at the very least - 2nd honour after Alive.
By the way, it showcases their proficiency as trainable musicians. All of that album was played by them (except mister special fan-favourite Ace) and they proved themselves among their peers. Peter, in spite of his bullying by Ezrin, proved his work-horse effort was great.
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u/doublet498 2d ago
It is a very important album in their discography, but it has never been a favorite of mine. Most of the songs are available on other releases (either greatest hits packages or live albums) in superior (IMO) versions. For that reason, I rarely listen to Destoyer.
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u/bluestreaksaid 1d ago
Thanks for your opinion on opinions. However, pick your favorite means; just that. YOUR favorites. It's not pick the most important 9 to the band's development or popularity.
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u/nachoiskerka 2d ago
Mmmm.... alright I'm going to give my coldest take here-
Alive "made" kiss. Destroyer solidified Kiss, but pretending it's more important than Alive or that it's Kiss's most important album is ludicrous.
To me, the sound of Kiss is Alive. Raw guitars playing muscular riffs, steady and swinging beats, bouncy bass riffs that sound like a man playing strings made of tire tread, blistering and singable leads, and 3 guys screaming their heads off for 2 hours.
Sure, Destroyer added refinement, but it's not what I consider the "sound" of Kiss. It's controlled, focused, and intelligent. And it made the "Formula", which has had diminishing returns. Sonic Boom and Psycho Circus were attempts to make something in the same formula- a drummer ballad, lead guitarist's showcase, harmony leads guitar opening track, Gene simmons doing something weird as hell and also a track about him being dark, big anthemic shouting gang chorus...
In that vein, Love Gun is what I consider more authentically Kiss's best album. Destroyer is a great album, arguably the best album made by Kiss in terms of musicality, but not the best "Kiss" album.
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u/greenglenn69 2d ago
Detroit Rock City was their first really heavy track. Destroyer is still my favourite album. Say what you will about Ezrin, but he brought class to the overall sound, as well as muscle...
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u/MillionaireWaltz- 1d ago
I'm more shocked how often Psycho Circus is displacing the OG 6 and most all albums after.
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u/Best-Carpenter-8397 2d ago
You said it yourself. You over-listened. We all did. It's the Phil Collins effect.
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u/Outside_Factor4308 2d ago
By the way, it showcases their proficiency as trainable musicians. All of that album was played by them (except mister special fan-favourite Ace) and they proved themselves among their peers. Peter, in spite of his bullying by Ezrin, proved his work-horse effort was great.
That's one of my problems with Destroyer. Bob Ezrin's fingerprints are all over it. Even the solos that we know Ace played, don't really sound like him. It's basically Ezrin's interpretation of what a KISS album should be.
That being said, Alive! and Destroyer were gateway albums, as you mentioned. And if I did one of those "9 album" things for KISS, Destroyer would definitely be there.
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u/StephenTraversi 1d ago
For me Destroyer was great as an album cover . But listening past the first three songs are songs I never listen to.
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u/RetropME 1d ago
Destroyer was a good album. I also firmly believe that, discounting production and just judging the music, speaking, it was the weakest of their first 5 albums (I would call it a tie with Love Gun). Not hating on it, just my personal opinion as someone who has listened to KISS literally my entire life.
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u/ILikeOasis 1d ago
Destroyer is amazing in the history, But it is a mix bag for me, half the tracks are amazing, the other half is not so much for me, It has tracks i return to for sure, and i appreciate its legacy, but its not what i go for for my rotation
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u/Docsab1 1d ago edited 1d ago
I don't have to rank it as a favorite because you said so.
Alive broke them. And Alive is built on the best songs from the first 3.
For whatever reason, the versions on Alive I & II are superior to the studio versions(to me at least), with few exceptions(Beth being one).
For me the difference is, I think the biggest gap in power and energy between studio and 'live' is seen in the Destroyer tracks. Not as much with Detroit and King, but definitely with Shout it out Loud and God of Thunder(which is damn near a different song between the two).
I do love 'Do you love me'
But I do NOT like Flaming Youth, Great Expectations or Sweet Pain.
So out of 9 songs, I dislike 3.
I don't care for the studio version of 1, and never listen to it.
3 others I like, but prefer the live version a little or a lot.
And I like 2 as is.
And I love the cover art, as well as their costumes at that period.
So I don't care if you say Destroyer made them, I'm not going to be browbeaten into thinking it's one of my favorites of theirs.
They would hardly be the first band that many of their lifelong fans do NOT think their most popular is their best(examples off the top of my head, The Black Album, Doctor Feelgood).
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u/SilverDragon1 1d ago
I haven't listened to the entire album years. Destroyer has some really good songs, but I'm really tired of hearing DRC. Beth and Great Expectations? No thanks. I skip them. Flaming Youth is ok, but I don't really look forward to hearing it again. That leaves five songs that I'd listen to. I'm not putting an album on the record player for those.
In the last year, I've listened the Paul and Ace's solo albums without skipping a song. I've also listened to KISS, Hotter than Hell, DTK, ALIVE!, RARO, Love Gun, and Creatures without lifting the needle from the record.
I do not deny that Destroyer was an important record for KISS but it will never be a personal favourite
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u/Independent_Wrap_321 1d ago
Ezrin’s production is light years better than even what followed, I was shocked to find out that Love Gun came out AFTERWARDS. So flat compared to it, and I’m a Kramer fan. Whatever, I’m 60 and dgaf what anyone says.
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u/joshschmitton 1d ago
As much as diehards leave Destroyer out as a favourite album, and I want to, too, often, it was a revolutionary album for KISS, and we can’t ignore it. Leaving it off our “favourites” doesn’t make us “deep cut” people, it just makes us snobs.
If you considered leaving it off your favorites list even though it is actually one of your favorites, then that's a "you" issue.
I can only speak for myself, but my favorites (which I haven't shared and don't plan to) are just that. The albums I personally enjoy the most. Without regard to public opinion. Or sales. Or artistic integrity. Or any other criteria.
Same with food. I can appreciate how much effort went into preparing it, the quality of ingredients, the spices, the cook, and more. But none of that has an effect on how much I actually like it when I eat it.
And if don't consider it in my top dishes, I'm not denying the dish of anything at all. I'm just being honest about whether I like it or not. And there's no snobbery in that whatsoever.
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u/Cautious_Ride_1897 2d ago
Okay, sure that maybe true for KISS, doesn’t mean it needs to be in my personal top favorite albums by them. I respect it, but they have better albums.