Kiss - Destroyer

Ryan Rebalkin (@RyanRebalkin) rocks out with guest Craig Cohen (@MrCraigCohen) to dissect KISS's landmark 1976 album Destroyer—the band's fourth studio release and first with producer Bob Ezrin, marking a shift from raw hard rock to theatrical, orchestral bombast. As the Starchild (Paul Stanley), Demon (Gene Simmons), Spaceman (Ace Frehley), and Catman (Peter Criss) donned full makeup and pyrotechnics, Destroyer delivered iconic anthems like "Detroit Rock City," "Shout It Out Loud," and "Beth," alongside deeper cuts such as "God of Thunder," "Flaming Youth," and the epic "Great Expectations." The duo dives track-by-track into Ezrin's polished production, the New York Dolls-inspired "King of the Night Time World," Criss's ballad breakthrough, Frehley's solo spotlight, and the album's cultural impact—certified platinum, spawning KISS's signature live spectacle—before debating filler moments and crowning the disc's "worst" song in true critical, tongue-in-cheek fashion.