Classic KISS album 'Destroyer' to get deluxe reissue treatment

Destroyer, originally released in 1976, was KISS' first album to sell one million copies in its first year and their all-time best selling studio album.

On November 19, UMe will mark the 45th anniversary with the release of 'KISS – Destroyer 45th.' Featuring “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” “God Of Thunder” and “Beth,” the reissue will be available as a Super Deluxe 4CD + Blu-ray Audio box set as well as on standard double black vinyl and limited edition yellow and red double colored vinyl, 2-CD set, and digital.

Destroyer 45th can be pre-ordered, HERE. Watch The Unboxing Video Here

For the recording of Destroyer, Bob Ezrin was brought in as KISS’s new producer and helped the band experiment with new sounds such as on “Do You Love Me?,” orchestral arrangements during “Great Expectations” and their Billboard No. 7 hit single “Beth.”

This special anniversary reissue has plenty of bonus material. CD 1 includes the original album newly remastered at Abbey Road Mastering, while CD 2 features 15 demos from Paul Stanley’s and Gene Simmons’s personal archives – 9 of which are unreleased. CD 3 has studio outtakes, alternate versions / mixes and single edits – most notably a brand-new stripped-down mix for “Beth (Acoustic Mix),” and CD 4 contains an electrifying performance from the band’s visit to Paris France at the L’Olympia on May 22, 1976. 

For the Blu-ray Audio disc, Steven Wilson created a first-ever Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mix of the original studio album plus 2 bonus tracks “Beth (Acoustic Mix)” and “Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)” the latter featuring Ace Frehley’s original recorded guitar solo that was not released on the studio album (this track is available on the 2012 Destroyer: Resurrected project.)

The Super Deluxe box features collectable KISS memorabilia and ephemera, including a complete recreation of the original KISS Army Kit with the original folder and following items:

KISS Army newsletter Volume 1 – No 2 announcing Destroyer

2x 8”x10” Destroyer Press Photos
Discography Sheet
Gene, Paul, Ace & Peter Bio Sheet
KISS Army Member Certificate
KISS Army Membership Card

Also included in the Super Deluxe set:

KISS logo Iron-on
KISS Army Sticker
“Detroit Rock City” Bumper Sticker
Destroyer Cover Sticker
11”x17” KISS on Westminster Bridge UK Poster
4 brand new 8”x10” Band Member Photos
8”x12” Destroyer Foil Flyer
8”x12” Destroyer Canadian Flyer (super rare)
4x Band Member Trading Cards (newly created for this boxset)
16”x24” KISS Over New York Skyline Poster
16”x24” KISS Halloween 1976 Concert Poster
2x 9”x12” Destroyer Tour Stage Blueprints on Transparent Vellum (never been seen before)
16-page Destroyer 1976 Tour Program
Gotham Rock City News Volume 1 Newspaper that is a track-by-track interview with all 4 band members, Bob Ezrin and crew

68-page hardcover book with extensive liner notes by Paul Elliott & Ken Sharp featuring interviews from Gene, Paul, Ace, Peter, then-manager Bill Aucoin, album producer Bob Ezrin, and many more about the album’s writing and production process, U.S. and European tours, photo shoots, promotional stories, band member memories from their TV appearance on The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, and an intoxicating amount of unreleased photos and imagery

The entire contents are housed in a lift top- style box and features artist Ken Kelly’s original Destroyer cover art, arguably one of the most iconic album covers in rock, making this the ultimate KISS Destroyer souvenir.

SUPER DELUXE TRACK LIST:

DISC ONE:

DESTROYER: Original Album Remastered

1. Detroit Rock City
2. King of The Night Time World
3. God of Thunder
4. Great Expectations
5. Flaming Youth
6. Sweet Pain
7. Shout It Out Loud
8. Beth
9. Do You Love Me?

DISC TWO

DESTROYER-ERA: Demos

PAUL STANLEY DEMOS

1. Doncha Hesitate
2. God Of Thunder And Rock And Roll
3. It’s The Fire*
4. Detroit Rock City*
5. Love Is Alright*

GENE SIMMONS DEMOS

6. Bad, Bad Lovin’
7. Man Of A Thousand Faces
8. I Don’t Want No Romance*
9. Burnin’ Up With Fever*
10. Rock N’ Rolls Royce*
11. Mad Dog
12. Night Boy*
13. Star*
14. Howlin’ For Your Love*
15. True Confessions

DISC THREE
DESTROYER: Outtakes, Alternate Versions / Mixes, Single Edits

1. Beth (Acoustic Mix)*
2. Shout It Out Loud (Single Edit)
3. Flaming Youth (Single Edit)
4. Detroit Rock City (Single Edit)
5. Shout It Out Loud (Mono Single Edit)
6. Flaming Youth (Mono Single Edit)
7. Detroit Rock City (Mono Single Edit)
8. Beth (Mono)
9. King Of The Night Time World (Live Rehearsal Instrumental)*
10. Do You Love Me? (Mono Instrumental)*
11. God Of Thunder (Early Instrumental Mix)*
12. Ain’t None Of Your Business (Instrumental)*
13. Detroit Rock City (Instrumental)*
14. King Of The Night Time World (Alternate Mix)*
15. Great Expectations (Early Version)*
16. Flaming Youth (Early Version)*
17. Do You Love Me? (Early Version)*
18. Shout It Out Loud (Alternate Mix)*
19. Ain’t None Of Your Business (Outtake)*
20. Beth (Take 6 – Instrumental)*
21. Beth (Instrumental)*
22. Do You Love Me? (Alternate Mix)*

DISC FOUR
LIVE IN PARIS – L’Olympia – 22 May, 1976*

1. Deuce
2. Strutter
3. Flaming Youth
4. Hotter Than Hell
5. Firehouse
6. She / Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
7. Nothin' To Lose
8. Shout It Out Loud / Gene Simmons Bass Solo
9. 100,000 Years / Peter Criss Drum Solo
10. Black Diamond
11. Detroit Rock City
12. Rock and Roll All Nite

BLU-RAY AUDIO:
DESTROYER: *Dolby Atmos 48kHz 24-bit, *Dolby True HD 5.1 96kHz 24-bit,

DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 96kHz 24-bit, PCM Stereo 96kHz 24-bit

1. Detroit Rock City
2. King Of The Night Time World
3. God Of Thunder
4. Great Expectations
5. Flaming Youth
6. Sweet Pain
7. Shout It Out Loud
8. Beth
9. Do You Love Me?

Bonus Tracks:

10. Beth (Acoustic)
11. Sweet Pain (Original Guitar Solo)
* Previously unreleased