Dave Swanson | Ultimate Classic Rock

Pete Cade

As previously announced, the classic Kiss album ‘Destroyer’ is getting the deluxe treatment. According toBravewords,  a release date has finally been set for August 21. The 35th anniversary deluxe edition will be a two-CD set that will include rare material as well as a new remix of the album, done by original producer Bob Ezrin.

Following the floodgate opening success of ‘Alive,’ ‘Destroyer’ was a huge hit for the band, spawning the hit singles ‘Shout It Out Loud’ and ‘Beth.’  The new reissue will also feature the long-rumored original cover art by Ken Kelly that was axed by the record company because they apparently thought the original art was too, ahem, violent.

Bassist Gene Simmons told Ultimate Classic Rock of his excitement for the upcoming reissue adding  “You’ll hear the DNA of what it’s all about, [with] a big booklet that shows the making of [the album] and what everybody was going through.”

‘Destroyer,’ a top ten US hit for the band ,was released on March 15, 1976, thus making the ’35th Anniversary Edition’ over a year late. Nevertheless, the album cemented Kiss’ status as rock superstars of the era. It remains one of the band’s most loved albums.