Reviews (page 4 of 8)
"Most kids were infatuated with the looks of Kiss, not their music"- KISS's Spotify description 2025
Listening to Detroit Rock City: oh hey, maybe this will be a pretty rockin album Listening to everything else: okay, I can see why people only ever mention DRC...
It's Destroyer. It's awesome.
ionno isrk
never was really impressed by these guys
One of KISS's better albums. Fairly heavy, great vocals by Paul, awesome riffs by Ace. Gene's God of Thunder is actually really good. I'm not super into KISS but for what it is it's pretty good. Favorite songs: God of Thunder, Beth, Do You Love Me.
I have just recently started to get into most of their discography. I get it, maybe at the time it was some rocking, chugging rock'n'roll but I am not finding anything special of these guys. I may have mentioned on this before with another album review but I pay attention to the music more than the lyrics. Nothing with this band really catches my ear feels like they are "amazing". With that being said, I have heard this album and it is pretty rocking, for this age.
IDK, nothing special
I really want to like KISS more than I do. It always just seems so resoundingly mediocre to me. Destroyer is no different.. 3/5
Never really saw the appeal of KISS. It’s like the pop version of arena rock. This album was missing a lot and was fairly uninteresting throughout. 2/5 Won’t listen again
It’s Kiss - peak Kiss, it’s awesome!
5/10
Mostly lame and boring. A couple standouts like Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder, and Shout it Out Loud are great, but the rest of the album drags
Kiss checks a lot of boxes for me (loud guitars, gimmicky, don't take themselves too seriously) - but I just can't get there. I like a few songs here and there but overall, they just don't do it for me. And this is coming from someone who's favorite band is The Darkness, so feels like it should be up my alley. But it's not. 2 stars but rounding up to 3 for Detroit Rock City because that song rules.
I wish I could get into their music…
A classic that I have some nostalgia for - Kiss Dynasty was the first album I bought with my own money. It’s a bit dated and cheesy, and there are some clunkers but I think it’s still enjoyable and Kiss belongs on the list for their "rock and roll superheroes" shtick. 3.5⭐️
This album had their best cover art but a better choice for a "must hear" Kiss album would have been "Alive!". When Kiss broke I was at the right age to be their target audience. I loved the whole gimmick of the band and a lot of their songs rocked. I liked this a lot more as a teen than I do now but it was kind of a fun re-visit.
Standard over-the-top commercialized rock that KISS is known for. Enjoyable enough- I could see being a teenager in the 70s and being really moved by it. Overall- decent album
Beth is a fine song, but it isnt rock :-)
Awesome album with some legendary songs. 8.1/10
why is detroit rock city about a guy having fun drunk driving and speeding
Outside of the radio hits, I had never listened to a full KISS album. Now I know why, as this was just dull as fuck. This definitely did not need to be on this list. As it played, I pretty much tuned it out.
Kiss are best at big dumb rock, and they still aren't very good at that. Trying to be smart just makes them worse.
Catchy songs, good riffs. The production and mix is kind of weird (guitars sound soft) and the lyrics are vain.
I know I'm not the target audience for KISS, but I don't find any talent or ingenuity or even fun in their songs. I like maybe 2 of their songs and neither are on this album.
Fun fact: it took me nearly 50 years to listen to a Kiss album.
Unpopular opinion: Kiss is one of the most overrated bands in the history of rock and roll. Actually, all of music. This is the first full album of theirs I’ve ever listened to, in fact the only time I’ve intentionally listened to anything KISS. I dislike them more now than ever. This was incredibly one dimensional; every song was “we’re a rock band, we’re awesome.” Even the ballad was centered around the “I’m in a rock band” concept. It was just nonstop chest thumping and posturing, which I detest in general. Song specifically, I hated God of Thunder. It sounded terribly produced to me. And why was there a kid in the background? The pandering of Do You Love Me is actually embarrassing. Detroit Rock City in isolation is not a bad song, but in no way does it warrant the cult following Kiss has cultivated. There was nothing about the rest of the album I care to think about, much less comment on. In all fairness, it is brilliant marketing, which is really what their whole thing is. They’re not musicians so much as a business. And I hate that. I don’t listen to music to be sold the product that is the band.
Fun glam rock. Enjoyable.
Det er rart. Som ungdom tenkte jeg at de var så flinke, men det er utrolig dårlig kvalitet på opptakene og låtskriving er pinlig dårlig. Peter Criss på Beth er så svak og dårlig.
enjoyable, good listening
i hear what everyone is saying. this album is kind of corny, kind of uncool, kind of lame. this album is also so quintessentially 70s rock. much more flash than substance, but still pretty entertaining. there's not a lot of depth here, but goddamn are 'shout it out loud' 'detroit rock city' and 'god of thunder' not just an unabashedly fun listen. it has its duller moments and, although i like 'beth,' it does feel like a bizarre song for kiss to have released, as it sounds more like a song from a coffee commercial than from the band whose bassist sticks his tongue out and breathes fire. it's best not to take this album so seriously. the schtick is kind of what makes it what it is.
Pues será que no sé nada pero el que está considerado como el mejor disco de los Kiss, a mí me pareció muy normal, hasta un tanto mediano. Detroit Rock City es obviamente genial, pero el resto del disco me pareció muy repetitivo y poco interesante. Me gustan los éxitos de Kiss, y habiendo escuchado Destroyer, creo que me quedaré solo con los hitazos. Al menos en este disco, no me hicieron especialmente feliz.
Actually kinda really fun
not in a rocking chair
Sure.
Enjoyed it more than i thought i would, still not a fan of bland glam rock
Prior to today, I couldn't tell you a single thing about Kiss or name you a single member other than Gene Simmons, who has been known to cause a stir on occasion with some off-handed comments. After listening to this, I couldn't tell you a single thing about it either, other than that it's some serviceable enough hard rock, but ultimately a bit throwaway.
Really great rock n roll album
Zero expectations going in. Super cheesy but surprisingly fun. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.
This sounds like an AI attempt at generic 70s stadium rock. Paul Stanley > Gene Simmons. Shout it Out Loud is a solid track though 2.5
I don't wanna hear this horse ass band ever again
Con el perdon de la Kiss Army, no me genera nada. Detroit Rock City nomás. 4/10
Gets a 4 just for “Beth” alone.
Weird urge to worship Satan all of a sudden. Probably unrelated.
I saw the first Kiss Farewell tour in 2000, not sure how many there have been since then. Those dudes have some seriously dedicated fans spanning at least 4 generations. This album is cheesy rock but it’s hard not to enjoy it. RIP Ace. Happened to get this album on his last day on earth.
With all due respect to the recently deceased Mr. Frehley, without the face paint they’re fairly indistinguishable from other bands of that era like Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple. I would like to say the music was more interesting, but it just didn’t hook me. Rounding up from 2.5 out of respect for their “legend status.“
Really easy to listen to; even better the second time through. “Beth” is iconic.
Couple good ones. Pretty simplistic songs, though, as a whole. Can definitely see their influence on the 80's, for better or worse.
It’s hard to get past the gimmick. I know there’s more beneath the backup and glam, but I’m not interested enough to find out.
KISS’s Destroyer. Ace Frehley’s guitar never sounded bigger or meaner. “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “Beth.” Ace is gone, but this one’s forever.
Their best album, or close.
AWFUL
A childhood favorite! Many memories! ★★★★
A friend of mine came to an interesting revelation about KISS some time ago. That being that KISS is a children's band. Since hearing this, I have started noticing how often stories about KISS' music and shows told by people over a certain age begin with "when I was 8...", "Back When I was 12...", "I was 10 when I first heard KISS", and now, I'm more or less on board with this theory. And it isn't really a bad thing. It honestly helps contextualize the band for me. Who better to love men in elaborate costumes making glammy pop-rock about partying and discovering the true meaning of Rock and Roll than those under the age of 15. That being said, I know as many KISS songs as anyone else, which is a good many, and I can't say the band has ever floored me. The opening salvo here is Destroyer at its best. Detroit Rock City, King of The Night Time world, and God of Thunder are fun and rockin', even if you technically have to sit through a minute or so of ambience to get there. Aside from this run, I count Shout It Out Loud among the highlights too, but I can't say I'm as thrilled about anything else here. Great Expectations and Beth are kind of non-starters. I don't do KISS ballads (with the exception of Goin' Blind, but that one is like actually somehow sort of eerie, so I don't really count it in the same world), but Beth does try at redemption in the, admittedly pretty cool, back half. Aside from these, the other songs here just don't feel as catchy, energetic, or strongly written as the better stuff here. Destroyer is a mixed bag to me, one that unfortunately has more bad than good by volume. But KISS manages to get a few good songs in, and it's enough to earn a second star.
Maybe it's an American thing, but, I just never really got Kiss. I suppose I can appreciate they were perhaps unusual/unique at the time, but, perhaps in a more modern lens some of that is lost.
This album itself is pretty inoffensive and middle of the road. However, KISS does need to be on this list. Is there actually an album out there that captures their stage presence and cultural impact? Would Alive! be a better choice? Who knows, I'm not going to listen to find out.
Kiss. The epitome of 70's Rock and Roll bands, hard riving, good music, just what high school and college kids needed to fuel their alcohol (and other substances) parties. And of course, as the night wore on and it got late, someone would on Beth and the romance would begin ... ;) Destroyer marks a slight departure from the original stuff but none the less it is a great listen. Solid 4.
I like how the mix of God of Thunder tries to suggest something more interesting than the song is going on, which is kind of Kiss in a nutshell. I quite like them for that. When I was a kid I was aware of them and like a lot of kids thought their costumes were really exciting. But I never actually heard them. Over time while listening to my brother's much heavier record collection I built up Kiss in my mind. Man I was so disappointed when I finally heard them as an adult. But now as I advance to old age I'm more forgiving and can indulge in a false nostalgia for how much I would have liked them as a kid. Kind of mind boggling that guy's so fixated on selling that they didn't put out Do You Love Me? as a single.
Pre disco kiss? I like this - still has some edge. It's glam rock but it works.
3/5 ok
I just never got Kiss. Probably the only way to listen to this is live on stage. This record is just boring, and don't get new started on the lyrics.
actually really cool!
I genuinely had zero interest in listening to this. I hate glam rock & hair metal. I was going to write a scathing criticism about how they don't have to harmonise every fucking chorus, it gets old and annoying - HOWEVER, the moments (like in Great Expectations) where the lead singer has time on his own are met with realising how dogshit he is at singing. Please keep harmonising. prefer that. I think the only song I actually "enjoyed" was Shout it Out. Why was this band ever popular? Was it just the face paint?
I don’t think I will ever understand why kids were so popular. Decidedly MID rock band of the worlds greediest cunts (probably pedophiles too lazy to google).
Definitely Enjoyed this over other KISS albums despite this only manages to be mediocre the vast majority of the time. I enjoy the front a lot more than the back, the way the album opens feels like showing off and I enjoy that. God of Thunder is a phenomenal track too. 6/10
34 minutes with 2 minutes of intro and outro courtesy of Bob Ezrin. Five years before he would work with Roger Waters on the ground-breaking rock opera The Wall, he was here with a whistle around his neck barking at the sex criminals of KISS to learn to play their fucking instruments. Barring that, he would get the guitarist from Alice Cooper who he had worked with previously to come into the studio to just play the guitar on the lullaby Beth. Detroit Rock City is the only good song on this album. It is a song about a KISS fan who died on the way to a concert. According to the Wikipedia page, details are disputed, it probably didn't happen in Detroit, maybe it didn't happen at all. But this song certainly exists, and it is the single that is singlehandedly responsible for this album getting any sales at all. It's corny as fuck, overplayed and dumb as hell and despite my better judgement I love it. The only other song I really have anything remotely interesting to say is the lyrics of Do You Love Me make me think that Sean William Scott's character in Role Models, a KISS superfan, should not have been allowed to work with kids, not that any other song in KISS' discography inspires any hope in me that someone who listens to this would be a good parental figure. Having said that my favourite teacher in high school was a KISS superfan who would put on face paint when they came to Australia. But he also grew up with them and described it as "music you could listen to and not get called a poofta". As for the rest of this album. It's juvenile and repetitive at best, boring and perverted at worst. The aftermath of the sexual liberation movement is that many norms were questioned. Sure, challenging the concepts of abstinence and no sex before marriage is probably a good thing. UNFORTUNATELY, some OTHER concepts were also challenged which, combined with a very liberal attitude towards narcotics and a wave of cocaine abuse in the United States, resulted in the normalisation of paedophilia. This is demonstrated in, well, every fucking lyric in this overproduced piece of shit album. Seriously man, the opening scene in Animal House was a guy contemplating 'fucking the brains out' of a 13yo who had passed out. 'The good old days' my ass, everyone was a fucking nonce. Four dickheads who dress like clowns, can't sing, can barely play instruments led by a producer who was probably complicit in whatever fucked up shit KISS was doing backstage to any school-aged child who was walking within the vicinity. Still gets a 2 cause it has Detroit Rock City. Highlights: Detroit Rock City
Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud are undeniable. They alone keep this mess out of the basement.
Glam rock
I feel about this album the same way I feel about Smirnoff Ice. It's a mystery that there is even 1 person that likes this shit.
Yup, this is KISS. It’s not bad, and has fun moments. Not for me overall, but they’re an iconic piece of music history, whichever side of fandom one is on.
Standard Kiss
KISS always felt like a brand first and band second, the music just feels like empty calories to me. the scooby doo crossover is goated though
To a perfect week came an abrupt ending.
Detroit rock city!, Beth! , god of thunder
It’s fun. Nothing more, nothing less.
I hate KISS more than almost any other band but I've never listened to a KISS album so how to review this objectively? Well fine, it wasn't a terrible listen. It wasn't a great album though. Vapid, not particularly interesting musically, but fun enough in parts. Beth was the best song and sounded nothing like the rest. I can't give it one star but I don't need to give it much more.
As a pompous glam rock album this is pretty on point. There are some great tracks, like Detroit, shout it out and Beth, but then there are some creepy ones like great expectations. It's pretty enjoyable, but I find their studio sound to be a little underwhelming. A low 4 I think.
Actually kind of enjoyable. A bit kitsch maybe, but I enjoyed so hey, 4 stars.
Never really understood kiss or the kiss-hype
Realmente Kiss no es mi onda. Nunca me va a gustar. Mucha parafernalia y poco contenido.
Not sure why this one his here. It's fine but doesn't seem like anything special enough to make the list. KISS always struck me as being more about flash over substance, and I didn't get a lot of substance from this album. It's as about as deep as a puddle, as they say. Still, it's not that bad. I enjoyed a number of the songs. It seems more like something to just turn your brain off and enjoy than anything meant to be analyzed. Overall: 2.6/5
**An ok about, a couple easy listening tracks.
Many people, including some fans of Rock music, unfairly dismiss KISS, echoing old criticisms that have become somewhat tired. But at their core, KISS was, and remains, a great rock and roll band, especially live. While their catalogue gets spotty from "Dynasty" onward, their earlier albums are consistently very good to excellent. "Destroyer" is one of those earlier albums, and the only KISS album on this list, and it's a very good one, although I would have personally chosen their self-titled debut or even "Alive". "Destroyer" was a stylistic departure from the albums that preceded it, thanks to producer Bob Ezrin. He encouraged them to expand their sound with a more polished production, including sound effects, orchestration, and a ballad. These touches were often subtle, like the tubular bells on "Do You Love Me" or the children's voices on "God of Thunder." Speaking of "God of Thunder," it's a fantastic track, unusually sung by Gene Simmons despite being written by Paul Stanley. Then there's the hit ballad "Beth," written and sung by Peter Criss. The album's standouts: "Detroit Rock City", "King of the Night Time World", "God of Thunder", "Shout It Out Loud" "Beth" and "Do You Love Me" are all five-star tracks that would become core staples of KISS's live shows. The remaining songs: "Great Expectations", "Flaming Youth" and "Sweet Pain" are solid album tracks, though they don't quite reach the same level. The album's final track, "Rock and Roll Party," is a throwaway outro. Overall, "Destroyer" is a very good and fun album. Four stars. Side one 1 "Detroit Rock City" (5/5) 2 "King of the Night Time World" (5/5) 3 "God of Thunder" (5/5) 4 "Great Expectations" (3/5) Side two 5 "Flaming Youth" (4/5) 6 "Sweet Pain" (3/5) 7 "Shout It Out Loud" (5/5) 8 "Beth" (5/5) 9 "Do You Love Me" (5/5) 10 "Rock and Roll Party" (3/5) Total - 43 Average - 4.3 115/1001 60/115 albums reviewed were new to me.
Not my cup of tea
i was going to give it a star for god of thunder but then took it away because kiss suck and gene simmons is a horrible person. if these clowns don't take themselves seriously, why should i...
i don't like this grandpa......
Whatever I don't get glam Why was the 70s? I think I hate this
This is an album that’s energetic, theatrical, and occasionally overblown. Favourite Songs: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Beth. Least Favourite Songs: Great Expectations, Sweet Pain, Rock and Roll Party.
You would think that by their fifth album, they'd have made enough money to hire a decent song writer. Apparently not.
Started strong but it’s not a very good album.
Middling rock.
cool rock
Kiss’ famous face paint was actually a total rip off of one of Len’s famous Halloween costumes! Len was so upset they didn’t credit him he refused to go to Gene Simmons wedding to Shannon Tweed! 3.0 7/10 Shout It Out Loud
Standard rock that might be very new before?
This is a tough one. The album was okay with technically well played songs. Detroit rock city is great. I did like the innuendoes and entendre's. I can’t tell if they are serious or parodying a rock band but it was a fun listen. I’d call this a heavy 3.
Some days I just can’t do it
Ahh the genre of "soulless rock"
Man rock. Fun. Shallow. Beth is such a bad song.
Questionable sonic choices here. Church bells really don't fit here lol. Kiss is a strange band, pop rock and disco but with Heavy Metal appearance. Some songs here do go quite hard, Detroit Rock City is genuinely good and God Of Thunder is one of their harder songs as well. The rest of the songs are all forgettable generic pop tunes though. Kiss is hugely influential for their appearances, stage theatrics and extreme level of selling out, but their music is never what was important about them. Perhaps their disco album or Kiss Alive would've been more fitting as a pick for this list.
I desperately want to live in a world in which this was considered cool; but I live in my world and these guys are just a bunch of cosplayers singing about weird ass mythology. Pretty good for hard rock but it’s just the corniest shit I can imagine.
Ridiculous, childish, and entertaining.
I wasn't going to listen to this album because I have always avoided Kiss but I wanted to see if listening would change my mind. It did not. If anything, I will put this on the 1001 albums you should avoid at all costs. These guys make the most boring, generic rock and roll that I have ever heard. Just goes to show that because you wrap s*** up in a pretty package, it still stinks.
Pretty dull. The costumes are fun but the music is barely mediocre.
I genuinely had a blast with this one. More so than a band, KISS is a boldly shallow consumer-ready organization, but like good fast food they have a certain charm & quality control that appreciated when consumed in small doses. Perhaps unexpectedly, the production value is high as hell, featuring cinematic orchestration and sound effects, and the songs are well written and executed. It’s a popcorn album. Side note: I found it fascinating that Peter Criss’s vocals on “Beth”, with their soulful lived-in hoarseness, reminded me so much of Dennis Wilson’s voice during his 70s solo era. It’s a drummer turned heart bearing balladeer thing I guess.
Hair metal doesn’t get much better than this. Unfortunately I don’t see myself listening to this other than for the nostalgia.
I wasn't made for listening to this, baby! Extra star for having "Beth" and "Do you love me" head-to-head
As a self-described metalhead, KISS just is not it for me. They lean hard into glam rock, and that has never really scratched the itch I look for in heavier music. The makeup, the theatrics, and the big hooks might have been groundbreaking 50 years ago, but today it all feels a little too pop-oriented for my taste. “Detroit Rock City” and “Shout It Out Loud” have some energy, but nothing here comes close to the intensity or grit that real metal bands were cranking out around the same time. It is polished, catchy, and made for arenas, which is fine if that is what you want, but it is not what I look for. Maybe I would feel different if I had heard this when it first came out, but listening now, Destroyer feels more like spectacle than substance
Ouch. Back in 1976 I thought this was the death of rock and roll. Or the abandonment of effort into the lapse of mindless theater. Make it as simple as we can to appeal to the greatest number of people: Flaming Youth. This turned into hair metal, no? Ugh.
Bombastic, OTT, manipulative, anthemic nonsense. I hate those vocals but I get why the tunes are popular. Do you love me - not in the slightest.
KISS!!! Not my favorite album from Kiss but probably the first one I'd heard back in the day on vinyl (which I still have.)
OK, maybe a 5-star is a bit indulgent, but I stand by this being a startlingly good record, especially from this band. This was also the first record I ever listened to. I remember thinking something was wrong with my casestte as it opened with the prologue skit, but when I figured out what was going on, I thought it was genius! (I was in the fourth grade.) But, given their three previous albums—which are really solid, straightforward rock—this was such a creative twist. It's too bad the band didn't explore this path afterward. They would have been much more interesting. There are great songs on here, Detroit Rock City is a blast of an opener, Shout It Out Loud outdoes Rock & Roll All Night as an arena anthem in my book, Gene's best song (God of Thunder) was written by Paul, but Gene gets the full orchestral treatment, along with a glockenspiel, in the strange Great Expectations. So yeah, it's not quite sublime, but it's a creative set of music and production (love producer Bob Ezrin's kids creating a creepy dimension to God of Thunder) from a band that more or less failed to live up to its potential in the coming decades. I've always had a soft spot for Paul Stanley, dude epitomizes the '70s rock aesthetic, and he seems like a genuinely cool guy. But this was a high water mark for the collective.
You had to be there, I guess. This was my first listen to a Kiss album and I honestly think it's the first time I've ever heard Beth. That song's all right. I rather enjoyed Criss's vocals. Detroit Rock City is decent enough, too, but the rest of the album is a bit silly. I guess that's the word I'm looking for. That's not a terrible thing. (I'm a Styx fan.) I can see why my older brothers were into them back when they were 10 and 11, but I can't imagine them putting on a Kiss album at this point, other than for nostalgia's sake.
More enjoyable than I anticipated and more substance that I remembered. Was reminded that Shout it out Loud and Do You Love Me are true bangers. An absolute killer album cover. My Girl Scout music badge involved me on piano playing Beth (not the intro and only 2 verses) while my pal, Judi Finger, sang. I'm bumping this up half a point for the nostalgia and truly, this is one to listen to before you die.
The music was decent, but subtracting a star for making me listen to nothing for a minute and half at the top of the record.
I think the main thing that I've learned from this project is just how absolutely allergic to glam and hair metal I am. 1.5/5
I’m certain this was creating a lot of genre tropes and not copying them. But even still this feels like a deeply commercial venture that lacks artistic substance. It’s not bad to listen to, but it’s also not good.
never really got into kiss but i do like detroit rock city
I know they are a Parody band - but do they? Spinal Tap writes better songs.
Kiss is always fun. I think I've never listened to a full album. 3.5
2 Stars (5/15)
ROCKTASTIC is the only way to describe this. The genesis of many a rock n roll cliché
It was as cheesy and fun as I expected, but a few songs in I realised oh this is all we’re doing huh
It’s classic KISS.
NICE
I saw KISS when they put the makeup back on. Before that, I had no real affection for them. This one has a few really solid songs on it...it isn't as dangerous or crazy as the reputation would lead you to believe. 4 stars.
It's about as meh as you can get with an old rock and roll record. The album cover is about the most exciting part of this whole thing. Maybe it could sound fun in the background of someone's uncle's pool party, where he's grilling out and after a few beers gets a bit too weepy listening to Beth again and reminiscing about a long lost love (the one that got away [she gave him his first hand job in the back seat of his mom's station wagon]). Most other glam blows this shit out of the water. Detroit Rock City is a dope song tho, I'd put that on.
This was my first enlistment in the possible Knight in Satan's Service army. It was ok. Not my cuppa but two really good tracks in there. Top tracks: "Beth," "Detroit Rock City"
Final thoughts: I don't like Kiss, but I think I get it. If you want the full Kiss entree, you have to buy a ticket to the show. Can't make it to the show? Here's an album with slick production that will give you a general idea of what they're all about; a decent tuna melt made by the nearby greasy spoon. Also, there's no Gwar without Kiss. That's worth something. ******************************************************************************* --Detroit Rock City...after a minute of nonsense the song starts. it's fine. the guitar solo at the end is lame --King of the Night Time World...good lord these lyrics --God of Thunder...Sounds like Gene is singing this one. I do not like Gene's voice --Great Expectations...not a fan at all. what is this? terrible lyrics. is that a children's choir?! Turned into a so-bad-it's-good situation for me by the end --Flaming Youth...simple and stupid but in a good way --Sweet Pain...The Gene songs just don't do it for me. --Shout It Out Loud...this is fun. feels like the entire band is on their game here --Beth...did Kiss fans ask for this? is this a beloved Kiss track? Does every album need a ballad? When they play this song in concert is Gene still sticking his tongue out the entire time? --Do You Love Me...no --Rock 'N' Roll Party...uh
Big dumb rock!
Bad. Fun, but bad
Not bad. Simpsons: Yes
Never got into KISS. This album showed why really. They're pretty shit with a few decent tunes. 5 stars for their makeup and image. But not for the music.
Was expecting more from this. Best track on here was Beth.
I listened to Flaming Youth as if it was a gay anthem and it made it infinitely better.
Dumb fun.
Honestly not as cheesy as I expected, but my expectations were pretty low. KISS just feels like such a gimmick, it's hard to much respect for them. Reading about their early struggles on Wikipedia humanizes them a bit, I'll admit.
Booooooo!!! 🍅🍅🍅 I actually hated this. bland, uninspired, generic, boring rubbish. I knew I wouldn’t like it as it’s kiss, a band who focus on looks and live stage presence rather than quality of music, their looks don’t even match this music and also Gene Simmons. Seriously though there’s barely anything redeemable about this, the mix/production is so terrible, it sounds muddy and is like you’re listening to an amateur live band playing nearby with terrible sound quality, . At least it stops you hearing them playing their instruments a bit as every aspect of instrumentation is the most generic thing, boring riffs and drums which isn’t helped by the fact that they can clearly only come up with 30 seconds of a song before just repeating the same thing over and over again with the most random and awful lyrics they could come up with. The only thing keeping this being even lower is that the first song is a little better than the rest (despite the 2 minute bike intro) and the strong point Beth is at least ok. I don’t even know what genre you would call this, it’s not hard rock or metal, more like rubbish soft/glam rock with distorted guitars, vocals were quite bad as well. Really did not like this but at least it was on the shorter side of albums, favourites: none. overall, 2/10
Was alright. I love detroit rock city
picks: shout it out loud, beth
I've never been much of a KISS fan, but it's hard to deny that they were very good at doing just what they aimed to do.
I was really looking forward to listening to this one! I used to listen to KISS in the car with my dad growing up. All I remember is loving their stuff Well turns out quite a bit of it is cringy, but they do have some bangers in there! 3.5 but rounding up for nostalgia 4 ⭐️
6/10 Fun enough. 9-9-2025
3,5
Detroit Rock City on varmaan Kissin paras kappale, muut tällä levyllä ihan ok tasoa. Shout It Out Loud toki myös tuttu ja ihan hyvä. Aika mahtipontisia ja tosi positiivisen kuuloisia biisejä. Parhaat: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud
“Beth” is the only good song on this album.
Destroyer is a fairly basic but still really fun album. I always was aware of KISS' existence but i never really remembered hearing any of the songs off this album. And that is a shame because this album is an absolutely great one. The musicianship was easily the most enjoyable part of the album for me as it could range from hard rocking tunes to more orchestral sounding songs all of which sound very good. The lyrics here are a little dumb in some areas but this is KISS, a band that was rebellious for 13 year olds so it absolutely makes sense. The album went at the perfect length too, long enough for me to get my fill but not too long to become tedious. I really enjoyed this album and it's another addition to my highest rated albums. Best Song: God Of Thunder Worst Song: Rock 'N' Roll Party
I always thought that KISS was mostly a gimmick band. This album cemented that opinion. Maybe my pant are not tight enough?
Not a fan.
Really quite a number of weak songs in this album. Not a personality enough for me to perceive. 2/5
Not half-bad.
Their fourth album. Hard Rock / Metal. The all time biggest sell out Pop Rock band. Shit lyrics, basic musicianship and strained vocals. The most talented part of KISS were the people in their marketing department. This isn't sticking it to the man, this is the man. Utter shit. !
Actually pretty good. I don't really like KISS but this was a fun 70's rock album. Add some tracks that I wouldn't picture as KISS.
Cock rock for your parents. They wasted Satanic Panic on “Knights in Satan’s Service” with some of the most mild “rock” - honestly, I think the songs I know? Are mostly from covers that sound better than KISS’s own work. And Gene Simmons is a wanker. They get a 3 for being “iconic” in their era, but meh.
Detroit Rock City is an all-time banger. The rest is enjoyable inoffensive glam rock.
It's OK, Detroit Rock City is well known to me, but not the rest of this album. I'm not really into this particular style of rock.
It's listenable but not enjoyable
very cheesy pop rock, saved by Shout It Out Loud
Really didn't enjoy this. This felt like Rock N Roll as it would be depicted on stage by some local band in Saved By The Bell or somesuch.
Good rock I guess
Not in the mood for this today. Moronic album cover sets the tone for the album. A low 2.
Destroyer Detroit Rock City and Beth are good, and although it’s clearly very competent the rest of it is pretty much the same song 8 times, and that song unfortunately does wear thin, there’s only so many times you can enjoy the rather imbecilic lyrics, the heavy tom-toms and similar sounding guitar riffs, even if the whole sticks to a welcomely brief 35 minutes. It’s not awful, but I’m pretty sure I won’t remember anything about this in a week’s time and I can’t really think I’ll listen again. 💋💋 Playlist submission: Detroit Rock City
I associate Kiss with a very particular brand of soulless rock. Not good enough to fill stadiums nor rootsy enough to fill halls, and it's left floating around in a clinical arena-netherland. They are dragging the aesthetics of glam into the big-hair rock of 80s America and the results are bad. In many ways it has the soulless feel of the worst of ZZ Top without the bluesy credibility of ZZ's best bits. 'Sweet Pain' is probably the worst of more than a fair share of album naffery. The way Stanley sings "anayhow, anayhow" is unbearable. I was shocked to realise the album is only 33 minutes. It feels a heck of a lot longer. I can't put this in the two category. It's worse than that.
2.5 stars. Cock rock that is probably more fun live in a big arena. Not into power ballads ("Beth"), but first couple tracks ("Detroit Rock City" and "King Of The Night Time World") are OK.
Æ e for voksen og trøtt til å helhjerta digge Kiss, men det e jo gøy, i små mengder.
No
Solid. Extra star for nostalgia.
#DÍA 25: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) Volviendo una vez más a los 70s, la banda más ochentera que no es de los ochenta, Kiss. De pequeño solía escucharlos de vez en cuando, temas clásicos como Rock and Roll All Nite o Love Gun, pero nunca de este disco en concreto. Ahora unos 8 años después la verdad que tengo una opinión confusa acerca de la banda y su música… Sin duda tienen una influencia abrumadora, definen un poco lo que es el Rock más festivo y sería copiado hasta la saciedad. Personalmente no es el tipo de música que más me llegue, tiene clichés por doquier y me parece bucólico en el sentido más dañino. Tenemos un entrante decente, quizá la intro me sobran minutos, pero me parece interesante que hicieran un homenaje a un fan que falleció conduciendo hacia uno de sus conciertos. Es muy glam, muy de saltar en un concierto y gritar sin pensar demasiado, y las armonías en las guitarras del final son bastante potentes. Ahora bien, de aquí el disco no vuelve a subir, el siguiente tema, King of the Night Time World, tiene una mezcla caótica que se repite en otros temas y no tiene ni la mitad de energía y sensación de estructura que la anterior. Y es un poco el error general del álbum, el talento musical en cuanto a composiciones no está muy presente. Las letras dejan mucho que desear, principalmente la ofensiva Great Expectations o God of Thunder y sus penosas referencias mitológicas. Puedo destacar que Beth es una canción adorable y que la orquesta suena bastante bien, pero desentona completamente con el resto del disco. En fin, deja mucho que desear, realmente se siente que Kiss lo reservaban todo para la puesta en escena, porque sinceramente los outfits y la portada son legendarios. Pero no son los músicos más increíbles del mundo, y contando con que este año salieron otros proyectazos de rock como 2112 de Rush, Station to Station de Bowie o A Day at the Races de Queen, otro álbum que apunta a hacer gritar y saltar pero que considero que tiene una elegancia que lo hace indiscutiblemente superior… Pues poco más que añadir, meh. Favoritas: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Beth Menos favorita: Great Expectations #DAY 25: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die Going back once again to the 70s, the most 80s band that isn’t from the 80s: Kiss. As a kid I used to listen to them from time to time, classic tracks like Rock and Roll All Nite or Love Gun, but never from this specific album. Now, about eight years later, I honestly have a rather mixed opinion about the band and their music… Without a doubt, they have an overwhelming influence; they kind of define what party rock is, and it would be copied endlessly. Personally, it’s not the type of music that resonates the most with me—it’s full of clichés and feels bucolic in the most damaging sense. We start with a decent opener; maybe the intro drags on for too many minutes, but I do find it interesting that they paid tribute to a fan who died driving to one of their concerts. It’s very glam, very much the type of thing to jump to at a show and scream along to without thinking too much, and the guitar harmonies at the end are quite powerful. That said, from here the album never really picks up again—the next track, King of the Night Time World, has a chaotic mix that’s repeated in other songs and lacks even half the energy and sense of structure of the previous one. And that’s kind of the album’s main flaw: musical talent in terms of composition isn’t very present. The lyrics leave much to be desired, especially the offensive Great Expectations or God of Thunder with its surface level mythological references. I can point out that Beth is an adorable song and the orchestra sounds pretty good, but it’s completely out of place with the rest of the record. All in all, it leaves a lot to be desired; it really feels like Kiss saved everything for the stage show, because honestly, the outfits and the cover art are legendary. But they’re not the most incredible musicians in the world, and considering that this year saw the release of other massive rock projects like 2112 by Rush, Station to Station by Bowie, or A Day at the Races by Queen—another album aimed at making you shout and jump, but with an elegance that makes it indisputably superior… well, there’s not much more to say. Meh. Favorites: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud, Beth Least favorite: Great Expectations
Roadtrip
Musically it wasn’t bad but lyrically it was a bit juvenile for my tastes. The certainly had some bangers like Detroit rock city but there were a few misses on this album.
50 years ago I wasn’t a Kiss fan. One year later I was member of the KISS Army because of this album. Then a few years later went AWOL.
I’m not saying it was the best thing I’ve ever listened to, but it definitely doesn’t deserve so many one star ratings (in my opinion). Just another boy band. Type of songs I wouldn’t skip if they were on the radio.
Too much noise, quite annoying to listen to
2.5
It was alright, had a few decent tracks
Total cartoonish butt rock. I love it.
Another one about Dennis. I don't understand why. He and Beth had split up which seems like an impossibility and I was riding with her to a famous resteraunt in Louisville. I don't remember much of what he said but I could tell he was holding in that I was there with her. He was the master at keeping all feelings low key. You could tell if he wanted something or someone (well I could) but you'd really have to know his behavior. So he was doing his thing, making jokes, seemed drunk but kept talking about coke. He kept saying it was there but I never saw it. Son was there and as usual she seemed like she was trying to manipulate late the situation. Everyone except me was waiting to dance and eventually they opened the dance floor to a sea of faces that I can still see faintly and though I recognized none it is strange how your brain may remember a stranger. Dennis disappeared briefly. I found him eating off other people's plates. Then Everyone started leaving and I couldn't find anyone and when I did I said to Dennis 'I thought you were going to leave without me' he replied 'you used that same line to make people feel bad' then started laughing and looked at this guy Terry and said remember..' he mumbled something I can't remember then started talking to me and said 'Daredevil'.
Classic stuff. Never was a Kiss fan, but a few good songs on this album.
Dang. Pretty good stuff
Love it
I wish someone would destroy all copies of this. Plodding rock-opera stuff. There were some terrible records made in the '70s, and this has to be near the top of that particular pile. Got as far as Flaming Youth and bailed.
Refused to listen.
Kiss hit the big time right after I left teenager years behind me. But I did take notice to this album their 4th and it's a very good rock n roll album which took American youth by storm. It's just fun fantastic music and what outfits makeup and showmanship. Recommend this for 2 or 3 listens in a row.
The glammiest of all glam rock. 7/10
Yikes. As bad as I thought it was going to be. OK, I can admit "Detroit Rock City" is solid (minus the drawn out intro found on my listen) But the rest of it is slop.
If Donald Trump was an album.
1.8 At the end of the day, this is just boy band metal/hard rock. I do like some of the bass lines on KISS tracks ( I know gene didnt come up with them and can hardly play them) but I dont recall anything standing out on this album. Great Expectations is one of the worst songs I have ever heard
Disco muy entretenido, se te hace corto. 7/10
Jesus, this is lame. The 'rock' songs are formulaic and dull, the vocals are horrible, and this entire shtick just doesn't work for me. And HOW REPETITIVE CAN YOU BE, goddamn.
Kiss are Spinal Tap, but written by Andrew Dice Clay.
Detroit Rock City // Beth // 3.5/5
pretty good and some meh
An Alice Cooper parody act who took themselves seriously, Kiss always seemed to me like the band from a musical about a hard rock band and this is exactly album that a glam band from a musical would make. Competently made by people who know the genre and know how to take all of the stupid gimmics of a hard rock band and dial them up to 11 for dramatic effect. The only good thing about this is that these songs aren't quite as ground to death by radio overplay as their bigger hits.
Fun but fairly generic 70s rock.
I’ve never listened to album kiss (only radio kiss). I listened to this twice. Imagine being 13 when this came out and then two years later getting into cheap trick and thin lizzy.
So much of this I know through cultural osmosis. Loved it, only minor complaint is that looking back on it 50 years later, the sound is kinda thin. Like it's missing the bass end of things. That being said, Destroyer Resurrected gets it super right.
Ok so this is an awesome record, no question. Great Expectations is kinda garbage but the rest.. you just can't argue with Shout It Out Loud. I first heard this when I was 16 I think? A bombastic force for the ages.
7/10
Production by Bob Ezrin props up the marginal talents of the band. Skip the album and go for the 45 of "Detroit Rock City" backed with "Beth."
This fucked up my Spotify algorithm
I enjoyed this more than I thought although after the first few tracks things fizzled out. We want that drama coming from KISS.
meh
I'm sure it was great when it was new. It was very influential, the blueprint for 80s glam metal. Van Halen must have heard this and thought they could do better. And they did. Favorite song: shout it out loud
I'm sorry but Kiss are really a bit silly, aren't they? That cover is ridiculous.
Okay
Not good, not bad. There are some "hits", but the whole thing feels dated. Kinda campy.
Perfect album! Some tracks are the masterpieces.
On paper, I feel like I should enjoy this but it’s just not the vibe for me.
Detroit Rock City and God of Thunder are the only things keeping this above a one.
This album is a high-3 for me. I like the first two tracks: "Detroit Rock City" (what an anthem) and "King of the Nighttime World". I also kind of like the ballad "Beth".
"KISS wouldn't think twice about pushing you into that hole. And they wouldn't sneak up behind you. They'd walk right upto you, look you in the face, and push you in." - Some 5th grader, to me, when I was in 1st grade.
Weird to sound so much like a parody so early in the genre.
The cultural legacy of Kiss fascinates me. They're one of the best-selling bands of all time, influential to an unquantifiable number of other musicians, and revolutionized practices like concert tours and merchandise sales to become a commercial behemoth of a recognizable brand with die-hard fans and collectors around the world, and yet their actual music doesn't seem to be that iconic. Like, I'd probably only heard two Kiss songs I could name before this album. That's not usually the case with bands like this. I feel that, in recent years, people have started to think more critically about... well, music in general, but bands like Kiss especially and have started being more negative with them. I kind of get it, but I can also see the other side of the coin. On one hand, Kiss was doing things that no other band dared to do at the time. While I never went to one of their shows, I've heard that they were apparently a great live band, especially for the time. I have to give some respect to this band and their influence. But on the other hand, Gene Simmons is an asshat, consumerism is bad, and the music of Kiss is just kind of okay. Destroyer is not a bad album, but it's not exactly great either. The songs are somewhat catchy and have solid riffs. "Detroit Rock City" is probably the highlight. The actual music talent is certainly there, but not mind-blowing. The writing doesn't do it for me. I'm sure it's fun to hear songs that are basically just "let's party, guys!" at a live show, but it doesn't do much for me right now. Feels kind of shallow, you know? But who am I to judge? Not every album needs to be Pet Sounds. Sometimes albums can just be a fun collection of songs that you can enjoy. That's what Destroyer is. While I'm not huge on it myself, I feel it would be wrong for me to say that Kiss sucked and always did suck and never deserved any success. Gene Simmons can suck a dick though. The album's a 3/5.
#637. Genesis Simmons is an annoying twat and his music is terrible. 2/5: shit.
Ein klassisches KISS-Metal Album mit guten Gitarren-Riffs und interessanten Melodie-Verläufen. 4/5
It’s ok. Encouraging in a strange way… the songs are about dying in a car crash? But it just sounds so exciting and motivational. If I don’t pay attention to the lyrics, it will have given me a “oh yehhh letsss gooooooooo” vibe..
More variety than I would have expected from a Kiss album. I think it’s fair to know them just by their more electric songs a la AC/DC where every 3rd song has “Rock” or Lightning/Thunder” in the title. Wasn’t blown away but still cool to hear what they’re like before they do their morning cocaine or whatever.
I haven't heard many artists where i'm like, "ya know what, ima stick to their greatest hits album", but KISS is one of them. the fun ones are fun, and everything else just is... aight.
Good overall , but now thinking back I can’t remember anything that particularly stuck out.
This is the first time I’ve ever listened to a KISS album from beginning to end and it was mostly exactly what I expected. The rock was fun, the ballads were soulful, and I thought it was deserving of a spot on the list.
Not bad. A pretty classic sound. Not super memorable though.
3.5 - the album has three great songs and the rest ain’t that good. But kiss isn’t know for being musical geniuses. They’re about having a good time while listening and this album hits that mark
KISS: purveyors of sleaze metal for the pre-teens. The one mercy of this album is that it is short. It’s short in length, it’s short or lyrical prowess, it’s short on innovation, short on originality and it’s short on any real talent.
This definitely isn't their best. Detroit Rock City is a fantastic song (and is often stuck in my head), but the rest of the album is pretty bad. God of Thunder is one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Many tracks after that are very repetitive and Gene isn't the greatest singer.
Some great songs.
Getting a 70s rock album from this list feels like being told you're going to have steak for dinner. And then you get there, and it's this album. It's like if the steak was unseasoned and cooked poorly and also gave you food poisoning. This is bland and difficult to get through. There are some moments that are pretty good, and nice to listen to, and enough of those moments come together on "King of the Night Time World" that I can say it's my favorite song on the album without grimacing. But I think the less is said about this album as a whole the better. Favorite Song(s): King of the Night Time World
Brought back memories of my misspent youth.
It's like if you asked an AI to write hard rock. Plastic, banal, uninspired.
Parents were terrified of this?
I really dislike the majority of KISS's work. I like a few select songs, so going into this album already knowing a few of the songs, I was a bit jaded. I guess my gut feeling about KISS still holds true. Good songs, and some terrible songs. I liked: Detroit Rock City Sweet Pain Flaming Youth I hated: Beth God of Thunder (this is a horrible song) Great Expectations 2.44 / 5 stars = 2 on this scale.
I did not like Kiss, and this did not change my mind.
6/27/25. First time giving a Kiss album a full play-through, and this one delivered! I knew a couple songs already, but loved the guitars and random turns of softer tunes. Will revisit this one again.
With the exception of a few tracks: not the best 80's hair metal band.
thought it might be fun, but it's terrible
The most interesting track is Detroit Rock City, because it opens with audio. This feels like such a more modern device, and that takes it away from feeling cheesy. The music though, I dunno. Kiss are doing what Kiss do. I think if you grew up with this, it's probably awesome. But decades on the album feels a little formulaic (even though Kiss wrote the formula)
I always expect KISS to be worse than they are. But this was very tame/ vanilla rock. I thought my Spotify was glitching with track1 , but it was just stupid noises.
I do love a lot of these songs, but I can't justify giving the album a whole 5 stars. They're just a fun band, not a musically amazing one.
I honestly braced myself for this one; I was sure I'd hate it. I'm still strongly grossed out by Simmons, but I didn't hate this. They're no Black Sabbath, but hey.
cow patty... hockey puck... two stars for Beth and Shout it out loud...
It's fun, but bland and mediocre at the same time.
Kiss shouldn’t have been as big as they were.
I’m okay with Kiss. They sound pretty good but I don’t love. Solid.
There are a couple catchy tracks on here. The kind that stick in your head whether you want them to or not. But as a whole, the album feels more like adults playing dress-up and pretending to be rock gods than delivering anything musically substantial. It’s theatrical, sure, but that doesn’t make it good.
Facing my fear of face paint! Childhood Memory restored! Not as hard rock as what it looks like!
Tried to let go and enjoy it, I’m sure they’re a riot live
I may not love the trail they were blazing but can't deny were building something new. Cheesy as it is, Detroit Rock City is a fun song
At first the strong Spinal Tap vibes got me quite far - and by that I mean half way through the first song. This is a legit bad album.
Nothing interesting to say about an album with nothing interesting say
I always thought I hated Kiss Now I know for sure I hate this
I don't think there's a 70's phenomena that I get less than Kiss. Maybe giant lapels and gold medallions.
I expected this to be big dumb fun Mission accomplished
Lots of fun!!! Ended up feeling a little bit one-note after the first couple of tracks though. Really loved the inclusion of some soundscape-esque radio broadcasts and the call back to Rock and Roll All Nite at the beginning. Fav Track: Detroit Rock City
The fun bits are still absolutely stonking! But there's less than 30 mins music on this record and some of it is lame. Favourites: Shout it Out Loud, Detroit Rock City, God of Thunder.
OK, so it's all pretty mindless stuff, but sometimes that's all I need, especially within my favourite genres.
Few tracks got my attention and overall not a bad experience, although the title track was lackluster.
Glam rock Songs at it best! KISS essentials. Great pop-rock gems inside the album ! I really enjoyed this one
My MIL is a huge Kiss fan and also a huge POS, so this is more than a bit biased, but I fucking hate Kiss. They’re a subpar glam metal band with a 70s cool marketing gimmick. Everything they do is in service of commodifying their brand. My MILs house is full of crappy Kiss branded tchotchkes. There’s a reason “Beth” is their best song, and that’s because it isn’t a Kiss song.
If this is one of your favorite albums I am gonna assume you just don't care about music.
Thoughts before listening: I think Kiss is dumb. Based on their makeup and overall vibes you'd think they were some sort of hardcore metal band, but they're not. Its the dumbest, cheeseball rock music ever...but its also pretty fun. I know this is one of their most well known albums, so I am assuming a bunch of classic rock staples are on this album. Review: This album isn't actually as filled with massive hits as I was expecting, although "Detroit Rock City", "Shout It Out Loud", and "Beth" are certainly big songs. I would say there's nothing here really changing my mind about Kiss, but there are worse ways to spend 30 minutes than listening to this album of perfectly enjoyable poppy hard rock. 3-stars
I know I should hate this. I know it's total hypocrisy for me to hate all the other things I hate and give this a pass. I know rating this higher than Nirvana is sacrilege. And yet here we are.
Great album, with memorable tracks, good sound and interesting outliers that stray from the rock heavy songs. Will definitely listen to it, many more times.
Vocals were quite unimpressive. God of Thunder is so goofy. You might find me singing ironically.
This is a solid 3. It is good. There are good moments. "Detroit Rock City" is one of my favorites, but there are some duds here and sometimes it is just...fine. I don't understand why some people regard this album as one of the best rock albums. Its fine. "Great Expectations" is TERRIBLE Liked Songs: "Detroit Rock City" , "King Of The Night Time World" , "Shout It Out Loud" , "Beth" , "Do You Love Me"
Mostly lame 2
I don’t get it. Only one song sounded satanic.
What makes this so incredibly terrible is that they were 100% serious about it. They could have turned around like "sike, it's a joke!" like haha guys you got me there! But no, they were sincerely trying to make music and. It's bad.
Destroyer this album
Groovy
KISS being KISS
High positive rock energy and great vocals.
Heck yeah. This takes me right back to the late 70's. My brother had a bunch of KISS albums and I remember spending hours listening to them. This album really kicks ass. KISS was the gateway to heavy rock. I know they've kind of become a parody of themselves, but back then they were larger than life and were a lot of fun.
Not really my jam. Highlights: Detroit Rock City, Shout It Out Loud.
Not really a KISS fan, but I won't lie some tracks are pretty good. This album is quite a surprise, I liked it more than I thought, but not enough to go back for more. Gene Simmons is a beast, there are some kick ass bass lines. Some of the solo work is alright, but not great. Vocals don't really give me much. Not sure why I don't really like them, I like similar bands. Their image doesn't do much for me, feels a bit pointless and doesn't fit their music style.
I quite enjoyed most of this album. Nothing blew me away but it was an enjoyable listen.
This album was decent. A few good tracks and some others I didn't care for.
Kiss's music is not bad, but I don't like their oversexual aesthetic and I have more personal reasons that make them uncomfortable to me. But still, some quite cool songs.
It’s OK I suppose. Very Bill & Ted.
Well, I've finally listened to a KISS album now, and I've got to say, I was expecting more. I posit that, if you take away the look and the whole mythos surrounding them, they're just another mediocre seventies hard rock band. There's nothing standout or original or punchy here, it's just... meh. Disappointed, really.
# 487 : Destroyer by KISS : 23/05/2025 Best Live band EVER! - They've done a pretty decent job with this though, a good album, short and sweet. Aside from the obvious Detroit Rock City and Shout It Out Loud, the album didn’t really grab me. Solid but not really a standout, not 5 star material. Did I mention how good they are live?
Just rock, nothing interesting
some bores but they have made bangers also bonus points cause they played afl grand final 2023 and pies won flag pies but I like good rock n roll so yay
Couple of hits couched in filler. I don't think I get it. Millions do, but not me.
Detroit Rock City, despite the long lead in, is a great Kiss song: fun riffs, decent vocals with catchy lyrics, and a minute too long. King of the Night Time World was too soft and poppy for my tastes. God of Thunder has another fun riff and decent lyrics, with the deeper Gene Simmons delivery a nice change of pace. Great Expectations and Flaming Youth both have fairly fun instrumentals, but both are let down by very juvenile lyrics. I appreciate the change of pace of Beth, but I didn’t care for the vocal delivery and felt it contrasted with the attempt at a slow, lovey song.
Straight dirty rock and roll. It’s there, but not enough to be there. Still a solid album of the times.
Detroit Rock City can get it, the rest of the record is a little generic. Still alright.
I do not like Kiss, but this is probably what they should be remembered for (and Alive!). It feels like they tried to make a Queen album, but the timelines are spotty at best to support that. Beth is so hilarious and a genuine good song but so hilarious.
eh. not my favorite band in my least favorite genre/decade. I recognize that some people love KISS, but they just seem so watered down to me. They have a couple decent songs, but I found nothing that engaged me. 2/5
This album kinda rules, it's what I wanted outta AC/DC. It does everything AC/DC was trying to do but better: guitar solos, simple song structures, singing bout your dong AND Beth is a great ballad. I'm close to a 5 on this and I can't wait to find it in a $3 used record bin someday. Fuck it, it's a 5 in honor of Gene Simmon's tongue
Are Kiss cool? No, seriously, are they? They must've been at the time, otherwise how did anyone take them seriously? They definitely became uncool in the 90's, Alt-Rock and Grunge were never gonna let these discount Arthur Browns be anything other then lame as hell. However, we're in new sincerity now, "Bat Out of Hell" is fucking awesome, is Kiss getting the same reevaluation? Well guess what, I've decided I get to answer this question permanently. KISS... IS... NOT COOL. Fuckin' pop-rock-metal garbage isn't over-the-top enough to be Meatloaf or legit enough to be Sabbath. I wrote this review listening to "Great Expectations", which may legitimately be the worst song ever made. Beth does nothing for me, fuck this album.
Really rather enjoyable, from a time when KISS weren't known as 'hoary old rockers'. Just good, proper rock'n' roll
I thought i was going to like this, but i didnt. It felt surprisingly basic and mainstream. There wasnt much beyond some pomp and makeup.
Pretty solid, a couple borderline cringe songs but great album.
Disgusting - the abusers claiming to be poor victims. Of course lonely teenage boys appreciated this moronic brand of macho whimpering. It’s troubling so many of them think it’s great rather than the greasy wankfest it has always been.
In a nutshell: trying to keep the party going. I think Kiss is one of those bands that you can get away with listening to a "greatest hits" compilation or a live album. Once you’ve heard one Kiss song, you’ve got the gist of what others are like. Overall: 1/10
The charm on this one wore out fast. KISS are a singles band, but they have great album artwork.
C'Mon
Unimpressive. Stale. Bland. Shlock. The lowest common denominator. Even Bob Ezrin couldn’t save this merchandizing racket in disguise as a rock band. There are like 3 good songs (detroit rock city, sweet pain, shout it out loud) and the rest of the album is garbage. Especially Beth. Beth sucks. The lyrics are lazy and juvenile. They can barely sing. They can barely play their instruments. The production drenches them in formaldehyde to hide their rotting stench. This album is a gold platted garbage heap, but because the gold plating is done very well, I will give it 2 stars instead of 1.
I know a few KISS songs and listening to this album makes me want to forget the ones I know Schlocky glam gimmicky garbage Without the theatrics (and probably all the drugs the fans took) this band would have been forgotten
It was ok, tbh i expected more
I feel like KISS's (admittedly deserved) reputation precedes them. On its own merits, this particular album is...serviceable.
The best KISS album ever? Got to love the pageantry.