Monday, June 24, 2019

Album Review: Van Halen's 1984

Are you guys rockin fellow Otaku & Metalheads!?

Part 1 of Hair Metal Hysteria is just about done folks. We took a look at an iconic album from KISS, and gave a glace at Whitesnake’s second release. Today, we reach a band that blended everything that would ultimately become Hair Metal together into one being, and that’s Van Halen! An iconic band, whether it was fronted by David Lee Roth or Sammy Hagar, you knew you were in for a good time when they appeared on MTV or came in on the radio waves. When people went to see them live way back when, it was pure 80s magic. Today, I’m looking at a slice of that magic with their final album with Roth, 1984. Get some of that hairspray at the ready, and let’s begin!

Background

Taken from Wikipedia:

Following the group's 1982 album, Diver Down, guitarist Eddie Van Halen was dissatisfied by the concessions he had made to Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth and producer Ted Templeman. Both discouraged Eddie from making keyboards a prominent instrument in the band's music. In 1983, Eddie built his own studio in his backyard, naming it 5150 after the Los Angeles police code for "escaped mental patient". There, he composed Van Halen's follow-up to Diver Down—without as much perceived "interference" from Roth or Templeman. The result was a compromise between the two creative factions in the band: a mixture of keyboard-heavy songs, and the intense rock for which the band was known.

In Rolling Stone's retrospective review of 1984 in its 100 Best Albums of the Eighties list, producer Ted Templeman said, "It's real obvious to me [why 1984 won Van Halen a broader and larger audience]. Eddie Van Halen discovered the synthesizer.
"

At the time, Eddie was in the process of building his own studio with Donn Landee, the band's longtime engineer (and later producer on 5150 and OU812). While boards and tape machines were being installed, Eddie began working on synthesizers to pass the time. "There were no presets," said Templeman. "He would just twist off until it sounded right."

1984 was received pretty positively upon it’s release. Robert Christgau gave it a B+, explaining that "Side one is pure up, and not only that, it sticks to the ears" and that "Van Halen's pop move avoids fluff because they're heavy and schlock because they're built for speed, finally creating an all-purpose mise-en-scene for Brother Eddie's hair-raising, stomach-churning chops". Rolling Stone reviewer J. D. Considine gave the record a 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "the album that brings all of Van Halen's talent into focus" and stated “"Jump" is not exactly the kind of song you'd expect from Van Halen” but that "once Alex Van Halen's drums kick in and singer David Lee Roth starts to unravel a typically convoluted story line, things start sounding a little more familiar". Ironically enough in regards to Rolling Stone, 1984 was ranked 81 on its list of the 100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s, despite being critical of the band beforehand. Change of heart I guess.

1984 also managed to accomplish some pretty big feats as well. In managed to reach number 2 on the Billboard 200, just behind Michael Jackson’s behemoth Thriller, where it would stay there for 5 weeks. The first single of the album, Jump, would reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 1984 would also go on to be certified Diamond by the RIAA, selling 10 million copies here in the states (Van Halen’s first album would be the other record in their library that accomplishes such a feat). And finally, Jump would become Gold in April of 1984, just a few months after it’s release. Pretty impressive accomplishments if you ask me!

Basic Description

Fun. Genuine 80s fun.

What Power Metal is from the 90s to now, Hair Metal was to the 80s. The genre never took itself serious in any way: Dokken, Stryper, and even W.A.S.P. always had a great time performing live and on their records. Van Halen is no exception, as they always seem to have positive energy inside each & every single song they make. 1984 brings a smile to my face through and through, as the tracks within never get dark or depressing in any way. From young love, to living life, and hot teachers, the album is definitely an example of something that’ll take you to your happy place easily!

Best Track
Jump has always been one of those songs that has stuck within the social consciousness, and for very good reason. It’s a bright and happy tune, and the band is having a lot of fun. The instrumentation, the vocal work, and the keyboard are all even in their time throughout the track, and none of them ever leak into one another. If I remember correctly, while my Mom was pregnant with me, I apparently started moving around everytime it came on the radio or played on MTV. Pretty funny if you ask me!

Jump

However, my personal favorite will always be the silly & dirty Hot For Teacher. Taking the keyboard out, this track is a bit more raw with it’s instrumentation, and David Lee Roth goes between taking like a jerk student, and singing at the drop of a hat. Coupled with the incredibly hilarious music video, and you have a recipe for a classic!

Hot For Teacher

Worst Track

1984 is the only bad track on the album, but even then it’s only because of how small it is! At just 1 minute and 7 second, it serves as just an intro to the fantastic song afterwards. It’s a tiny bit sad, as the keyboarding creates a nice futuristic atmosphere, but otherwise there’s nothing of note here.

1984

Apart from that, 1984's only real issues is how short the album actually is. Clocking in at 33 minutes & 17 seconds (Take out the title track, and it’s 32 minutes & 10 seconds!), this is one of those records to need to listen to at least twice for it to stick in your head. Maybe more that for some of you. Quick albums aren’t necessarily a bad thing if the content is good (Everything excluding the title track here is an example), but even then it might not always be memorable.***

Other
If you’re curious about listening to this album, then click on the link below:

1984

Overall Impression & Rating

1984 is an absolute classic of the 1980s. It might be a bit on the quick side, but it is easily a highlight of Hair Metal’s time in that decade. Fun, vibrant, energetic, and a little bit sexy, Van Halen are proof that not everything wasn’t horrible in the 80s. Not only that, but it acts as a nice sendoff for David Lee Roth’s time in the band, and he wound not return until the early parts of this decade. Definitely an album to seek out if you want some 1980s sunshine!

1984 gets a 8.5 out of 10.

Well everybody, this was just the start of Hair Metal Hysteria. From KISS, to Whitesnake, and now to Van Halen, these 3 bands (Along with many others) helped create an iconic subgenre of Heavy Metal. For the entirety of the 1980s (And even a sliver of the 1990s), Hair Metal was a force to be reckoned with, but like many good things, it would fade away from the public eye. However, there is always a hunger for old things, as next month shows off a band that brings back the old days.....and brings it back hard!




***
What I referenced in my Kiss review at the beginning of this month.

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Album Review: Whitesnake's Lovehunter

Welcome back to Hair Metal Hysteria fellow Otaku & Metalheads!

At the start of the month we examined Kiss’s 4 record, Destroyer. That release certainly provided the commerciality & over-the-top nature of the genre, but now it’s time to examine the sexy side of Hair Metal. Without the sex appeal that would help move releases, it would have died off far sooner than it did. For this review, I’ve decided to leave the states, and head over to merry ole England to find a band that would most certainly add the sex appeal. As luck would have it, there is such a band, and their name.....is Whitesnake!

That’s right, we’re taking a look at British icons Whitesnake. Much like Kiss, these guys weren’t a purely metal group: Whereas Kiss had Hard Rock & Shock Rock behind their metal, Whitesnake had Hard Rock and a healthy dose of the Blues in their early work. Upon taking a look at the album cover of today’s subject of review, it was only natural that I give it the green light to show up here. So without further adieu, here’s a review for Whitesnake’s second release, Lovehunter. Let’s begin!

Background
Whitesnake’s beginning was pretty humble, but respectable. In 1978 they released a EP by the name of Snakebite, which included a cover of a Bobby "Blue" Bland song "Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City". It was their first hit, and proved that the new wave of British heavy metal could have a chart hit. The EP managed to have some success in the UK, and subsequent reissues of this EP included four bonus tracks from Coverdale's second solo album Northwinds. After that, their debut album Trouble was released in October of 1978, and leaned heavily more in a Hard/Blues/Glam Rock direction. It managed to reach no. 50 on the UK Albums Chart, and Whitesnake would go on tour to promote the release. Even with this success, the band didn’t rest on their laurels, so they went into the studio of May of 79 to record, and in October of the same year they released their second album, Lovehunter.

Lovehunter managed to do really well in it’s native England. It managed to get to no. 29 on the UK Albums Chart, and the lead single (Long Way From Home) made to no. 55 on the UK Singles Chart. The record also managed to make a splash in Japan, landing at the incredibly low number of 194 on the Oricon LP Chart. That’s not the greatest spot to be, but to land on another’s country’s charts when you’re still fresh in an accomplishment!

Basic Description

Sexy.

I’m usually a little more descriptive, but this is one of the few times where a single word can perfectly describe an album. David Coverdale has always been a singer with a voice that invokes love, lust, sexuality, and all other sorts of things that make women (And possibly some men) feel all kinds of tingly. Hell, even when he’s just talking normally, the man is smooth! Not only is he great, but the rest of the band is as well. Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden are great on guitar and backing vocals, Jon Lord is a wiz with the keyboard, Neil Murray knows how to play the bass, and David Dowle kills it with his drumwork. The entire band seems capable of shifting between rock, metal, & blues, and they never once trip up in the process. Even decades since it’s release, Lovehunter still manages to captivate it’s listeners, and has fun doing so!

Best Track
This.....was.....hard! The whole entire album is a blast from beginning to end, so picking a single track to represent the spearhead of Lovehunter is almost a crime. My favorite song, however, would have to go to with the second track of the record, Walking in the Shadow of the Blues. David Coverdale has a great mix of Blues crooning & Hard Rock weight to his voice throughout the track, and the rest if the band is the same way with the instrumentation. Neither fast nor slow, the song has a nice even pace throughout the whole thing, and even if it’s not fully Heavy Metal, it definitely has enough heaviness to get some headbangers moving.

Walking in the Shadow of the Blues

And while it doesn’t have anything to do with the music, a plus has to be given to Lovehunter’s cover art. Taking the sex appeal out of the picture, it’s still an evocative piece of artwork. Which makes a lot of sense, as iconic fantasy artist Chris Achilleos drew it. Fun fact: the original version of the album cover got stolen sometime in the 1980s by a “friend” of Chris, and it was last seen (alongside a few other stolen works by the same person) in a private collection in New York in the 90's, and the current owner has refused to negotiate over their ownership. Scummy to the 10th degree!

Worst Track
The only thing I would say that goes against Lovehunter is how old it sounds & feels. Given it’s 40 years old in 2019 (Turns 4 decades old in October), it’s not exactly surprising. I can’t complain much, as subsequent re-releases really improve the overall sound and quality. Apart from this, any other complaint would be incredibly nitpicky, not to mention a waste of time.

Other
If you’re curious about this album, then click on the link below:

Lovehunter

Overall Impression & Rating
Lovehunter is a blast from beginning to end! Sure, it’s got a bunch of grey hairs on the top of it’s head, but that hasn’t stopped some of the most iconic metal records from being nothing short of wonderful. Whitesnake’s 2nd release might not be a pure Heavy Metal release, but with it’s mix of Hard Rock & Blues, makes for a more varied and unique listening experience. If you want to enjoy a relic from the birthing days of Heavy Metal, why not give Lovehunter some attention?

Lovehunter gets a 9 out of 10.

So that was Lovehunter. Old school to the 10th degree, but loads of fun at the same time. Now that we got the pieces together, it’s time to see what came from this maelstrom, so join me round the end of June for the final review of part 1 of Hair Metal Hysteria for a look at yet another classic album. Until then, keep your love prey in your sights!

Sunday, June 2, 2019

My Top 10 Heroes Of The Storm Characters (4.0)

Welcome to the last of these lists fellow Otaku & Metalheads.

Yep, this is the last of these ranking lists that I’ll be doing. Thanks in part to Blizztivision, this game got hit hard with a lot of B.S.. E-Sports for HotS got taken out, and with the development team getting partially cut & moved to other games (“Cough” Diablo Immortal “Cough”), it’s obvious that the game is now effectively on life support. However, I’m going to give it one last shot of love in the arm, and show all of you one last time what some of my favorite people are. From 10 to 1, you’ll see even more of the individuals I use or fight alongside. So for a final time, here are my top 10 Heroes of the Storm characters!

(To keep things simple, any characters released under the newer system I will put into what I think are their respective roles.)

10) Valeera (Spotlight)
I felt like this list should have been called the “Warcraft Apology Tour” list. While they’re not on every spot, characters from Blizzard’s first ever franchise are going to show up a few times, and to start things off with have the Blood Elf rogue that strikes from the shadows! Released a month after Zul’jin back in 2017, I confess that I found her to be strangely forgettable. I always thought that Greymane was a better Rogue to play, and I still think so to this day. That said, when you get into a groove with her, Valeera can actually be a powerhouse. If you manage to catch the other team offguard, you can take out one or two players with ease. I don’t play her often, but when I do, I manage to get some success.

9) Raynor (Video)
I’m somewhat surprised when I looked through all of my prior lists, never once did I mention the very first character you actually play! Despite being the butt of jokes for a while, it wasn’t until last year where he got a huge overhall (Despite getting some smaller changes in prior years), and the leader of Raynor’s Raiders finally became something of a threat. Raynor can carry his team far more effectively than in prior versions, he can dole out far more pain than past editions, and can fight alongside other high-damage assassins on equal footing. If you wanted to play this stoic space marine but were turned off by his past abilities, then now is a perfect time to do so.

Also, this will be the only time on the list that I acknowledge anybody from Starcraft. Again, this final list is going to be weird!

8) Medivh (Spotlight)
Released before the iconic Gul’Dan back in 2016, it took me a while to get used to this powerful mage. Medivh has something of a difficulty curve to him, and it shows. All of his skills feed off each other in some way, and coupled with the ability to turn into a Raven & fly all over the map, it’s obvious that this Specialist is designed to play in a more cerebral manner. He was definitely playable, but I never felt I completely grasped him. In the time since he came out, there were updates & changes to his playstyle that made it easier for me to take control of his power. He’s not one of my favorites in the Specialist class, but he’s definitely one of my top picks for when I want to confuse the other team.

7) Anduin (Spotlight)
The first of the characters released under the new system, the King of the Alliance brings some potent healing magic to the Nexus. In a way, he’s similar to Uther in terms of his role, but while the previously mentioned hero has a melee kit, Anduin is more ranged & strategic. He the kind of Support character that needs at least 1 other player near him to be truly effective, even though he can take full advantage of his healing gifts all by himself. As the first of the new system characters, he does a great job at what he does, and shows the potential for further releases in 2019.

6) Leoric (Trailer/Spotlight)
There are a host of iconic villains from the world of Diablo, but outside the titular Lord of Hatred, the fallen king of Tristram is most certainly one of the most famous bad guys the series has produced. Encountered not once but twice in the franchise, his might and his mastery over the undead is brought over pretty well into the Nexus. Leoric can drain health & smash things with his mace while he’s “Alive”, and haunts the battlefield as a ghost whenever he manages to be defeated in a fight. He even seems more like his original self in the original Diablo in terms of vibe & personality, and that’s a plus in my book!

5) Whitemane (Spotlight)
There have been plenty of Support characters that have graced Heroes of the Storm since it’s release back in 2015, but none have ever made me feel confused & conflicted quite like this lady of the Scarlet Crusade. Upon watching her spotlight once or twice, I almost thought she was a copy of Auriel, and in a sense she is. In order to heal her teammates, she’s got to be in the frontlines, and constantly attacking the enemy. Whitemane is a little tougher to use however, since she has to rely on herself to build up the energy needed to be useful. If you can manage her mana properly, she can actually be pretty powerful. You’ve got to manage your mana & other players in your vicinity, but as long as you keep an eye on things, you’ll definitely keep people alive!

4) Chromie (Trailer/Spotlight)
Two things. Number 1.....Chromie is adorable. Perfectly placed freckles, pudgy cheeks, a smile and a voice that lights up the room, & she fits easily in most overhead storage bins. Secondly, this spunky Bronze Dragon is a spitfire in battle! She was fine in her original form, but got some interesting changes in her second edition. She really became a tiny monster just a few months ago when her final iteration was implemented with the class update, and since then is a beast in a fight. Her Sand Blast ability can now hit everything, her Dragon’s Breath can now hit for 3 areas instead of just one, and now she can manually detonate her Time Traps in addition to having enemies trigger them. Regardless of whatever version I play, I enjoyed my time with Chromie, and I think some of you did as well.

3) Mephisto (Spotlight) & Imperius (Spotlight)




Despite Blizztivision treating the Diablo franchise like crap, it seems that the Nexus still manages to show some love & care towards it’s storied cast of characters. Case in point are two iconic powerhouse from D2 & D3: The Lord of Hatred, and the Aspect of Valor. Mephisto definitely knows how to bring the pain, and thanks you his trait, he’s able to bring the pain constantly. Not only that, but the original voice actor from Diablo 2 comes back to embody a role he immortalized so long ago, and that a huge plus. Imperius brings the pain as well, but he’s a bit more methodical than the demon he shares a spot with here. He’s not quite as flexible as many of the other characters on this list (Especially no. 2), but he gains in harder, fiery hits. He’s much more of a tank than Mephisto, and is more likely to survive getting surrounded. Regardless, both characters are fun to play, and there’s something to find in either of them.

2) Orphea (Spotlight)
I still recall to this day the amount of upset players when the first non-franchise character was announced, and I’m still baffled by it all. A huge chunk of the fanbase constantly asks for new character, and they complain when they actually get somebody new! Are you kidding me!?

Anyways, back to Orphea. As the first ever non-franchise character, she’s is quite the powerhouse. Able to dish out hordes of damage, able to heal herself because of her abilities, and is something of a spitfire, this ranged Assassin can easily carry a team. She’s pretty mobile thanks to her first ability, and has plenty of other tricks up her sleeve to move around her opponents. Yes, Orphea is pretty damn good, and for a while she was actually my number one. However, I somewhat wanted to show of all sides of Blizzard’s franchise, which means......

1) Yrel (Spotlight) & Mal’Ganis (Spotlight)




2016's list ended with a Diablo character, 2017's with Overwatch, and last year ended with a tie between two individuals from Starcraft. To end this series of lists, I figured one last tie couldn’t hurt, and I’m giving the top of this list to 2 Warcraft characters I genuinely enjoyed. For starters, there’s the noble Paladin, Yrel. Taking more of a protector/healer stance, the valiant Draenai fights back against the forces of evil. She smites her enemies with her hammer, and keeps her team alive thanks to her control over the light. On the opposite side of the spectrum is the Dreadlord that brought down a kingdom, Mal’Ganis. Unlike Yrel, he’s on the battlefield for himself, stealing life with every claw swipe he does. Minions or Heroes, it doesn’t matter. He will get what he wants, even if he has to fly into a blind rage. Ironically, it’s this greed that actually helps the team out, as he can charge through enemy lines and tears things up. A strange tie to end this list, but one that’s weirdly appropriate.

So that was the final Heroes of the Storm list I’m ever going to do. I will continue to play until the day the game dies, as I’m holding out hope that they’ll turn around & really put effort back into things. In the meantime, there’s more Hair Metal Hysteria to come, so sight tight!


***
In case you haven’t read any of the prior lists, here are individual links to each one. Enjoy!

HotS List (2016)

HotS List (2017)
 
HotS List (2018)

Also, whoever thought the class changes back in March were a good idea, and to any of the playerbase that thinks it actually helps the game......“Facepalm”

Saturday, June 1, 2019

Album Review: Kiss's Destroyer

Hello fellow Otaku & Metalheads, and welcome.....to Hair Metal Hysteria!!!

That’s right everybody, I’m devoting this Summer to the most 80s of all metal genres. I’ve been thinking about covering this classic style of music for a while, but for whatever reason I could never think of the right time. Nearly 5 years since I started this blog, I figured the time was right to get some glitz, glamor, and badassery on here. Though Hair Metal has long been out of style, there are many who still remember it fondly, and then there are those like me who discovered it years past when it was popular. So to honor Hair Metal & the 1980s, I’m starting off this festival by taking a look at band’s that helped create the style. There are definitely a bunch of groups that gave their assistance, but these 3 bands were the one’s that came to my mind the most. Today we’re entering the realm.....of Kiss!

With their outlandish costumes, stage shows, & rebellious/sexually flavored music, it’s easy to see why they would be eventually labeled as Hair Metal (Or at the very least a band than can play that style). If there was an album of their’s that planted the seeds of what would blossom into a genre titan, I could only think of their 4th release, Destroyer......so let’s begin!

Background

Taken from Wikipedia:

After attaining modest commercial success with their first three studio albums, Kiss achieved a commercial breakthrough with the 1975 concert album Alive!. It was the first album by the band to be certified gold. The success of Alive!, which spent 110 weeks on the charts, benefited not only the struggling band but also their cash-strapped label Casablanca Records. Kiss signed a new contract with Casablanca in late 1975, partly because the label had been very supportive from the start of the band's career. The contract was for two albums, an indication that Casablanca was unsure if the group could duplicate the accomplishments of Alive!.

Bob Ezrin, who had previously worked with Alice Cooper, was brought in to produce the album. Ezrin introduced to Kiss sound effects, strings, screaming children, reversed drums (on "God of Thunder") and a children's choir. The song "Great Expectations" uses the first phrase of the main theme from the second movement of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13 (known as Sonata Pathétique), but songwriting is credited to Simmons and Ezrin.

Destroyer is the first Kiss album to prominently feature outside musicians, such as members of the New York Philharmonic. One musician not credited was Dick Wagner, from Alice Cooper's band, replacing Ace Frehley on the track "Sweet Pain". Wagner also played the acoustic guitar found on the song "Beth". The success of Alive! and Destroyer enabled the band to embark on their first tour of Europe.

Rehearsals for Destroyer began in August 1975, while the group was embarked on their supporting tour for Alive!. The band felt that Bob Ezrin was the right person to help them take their sound to the next level and to maintain the commercial success they had achieved with Alive!

The first recording sessions for the album took place in September 3–6, 1975 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, during a brief break between the Dressed to Kill and Alive! tours. The basic album tracks were recorded during this time. The majority of the recording sessions for Destroyer took place in January 1976, after the conclusion of the Alive! tour.


The first demo recorded during the Destroyer sessions was "Ain't None of Your Business" featuring Peter Criss on vocals. The plodding, heavy song, written by country songwriters Becky Hobbs and Lew Anderson, was rejected by the band and later appeared on the 1977 debut album by Michael Des Barres' band Detective. Although this song was rejected, other outside songs and suggestions were accepted by the band. In particular, Kim Fowley and Mark Anthony became important contributors during the songwriting process., bringing in the title and basic structure of the song "King of the Night Time World" from their previous band Hollywood Stars' then-unreleased 1974 album Shine Like a Radio (which also featured the original version of the Alice Cooper song "Escape" from Welcome to My Nightmare).

During the recording sessions, Ezrin resorted to numerous tactics designed to increase the quality of music Kiss recorded. Because none of the group were trained musicians, Ezrin halted the sessions at one point to provide lessons in basic music theory. In an effort to instill a sense of discipline, he wore a whistle around his neck and exhorted the band with sayings such as, "Campers, we're going to work!". When Simmons stopped playing during the recording of an outro, Ezrin yelled at him, saying, "Don't you ever stop a take unless I tell you!"

Paul Stanley later compared the experience of working with Ezrin as "musical boot camp" but said that the group "came out a lot smarter for it." Simmons echoed the sentiment by stating, "It was exactly what we needed at the time."

Destroyer sold pretty well upon it’s release. In just a few weeks after it’s March 15th release, it would be certified gold on April the 22nd. Although the exact sales aren’t known, Paul Stanley stated that the album initially sold 850,000 copies in the US, well in excess of any of Kiss' first three studio albums. The record would be the third successive Kiss album to reach the top 40 in the US, as well as the first to chart in Germany and New Zealand. By November the 11th of 76, Destroyer would go platinum, and it would be Kiss’s first release to do so. Though it’s future reception would be negative, no one can deny the weight this album carried back then & now.

Basic Description
70s cheese....in all the good ways!

Let’s get 1 thing perfectly straight: Kiss could have only come from the 70s. Sure, if they appeared in the early 80s they might not seem so out of place, but with how outlandish they were, I think the 70s suited them better. Not only that, but Destroyer came out right around the time that metal came out of the musical womb, and definitely has a lot of metallic might behind it right alongside the Hard Rock that only Kiss can provide. Destroyer is one of those albums that both Metalheads & Rockers can like, and even if you aren’t a fan of both, it can still provide some entertainment.

Best Track
Detroit Rock City will always be a song that’s essential Kiss. It does take a little bit before the engine revs up, but once it’s rip roaring hot, it’s damn good! The guitar work shreds like a motorcycle down the highway, drumwork that evokes the city & it’s seductive appeal, and with vocals from pretty much everybody, the track has woven it’s way into the musical subconscious of this country & anybody from around the world that hears it. If you’re not smiling & rocking when this is playing....something’s not right with you!

Detroit Rock City

Worst Track
Beth is the only thing I didn’t like on Destroyer. It’s not a bad song per se, as it’s a great piano piece, and Peter Criss has a nice set of pipes when it comes to singing. The problem is that it doesn’t stick with me when compared to everything else. I don’t think it’s a skippable song, as it can be pretty enjoyable. I just don’t see as memorable as all the other songs on here.

Beth

Apart from that, Destroyer’s only other problem is it’s running time. At 34 minutes & 11seconds, this will be an album that will require at least 2 playthroughs to stay in your memory. I won’t talk about this aspect of the record further, as this will be an issue with another album later on this month. Suffice it to say, it might be a nitpick, but for whatever reason I somehow notice these things.....and it also doesn’t help that they’re on Wikipedia as well.

Other

If you’re curious about this album, then click on the link below to give it a listen to:

Destroyer

Overall Impression & Rating
Destroyer, not only was it an important component in Hair Metal’s birth, but it also helped create Heavy Metal as well. Sure, Kiss has always had a commercial aspect to them to their records, and this one is no exception. However, commercial releases aren’t always a bad thing.....especially when a lot of love & care goes into them like Destroyer did. Even if you aren’t a Kiss fan, this is definitely something to seek out & listen to at least once. You’ll be glad that you did!

Destroyer gets a 9 out of 10.

This was just the beginning of Hair Metal Hysteria everybody! There were plenty of other bands (Metal & Rock) that helped bring this style of metal to life, so see you all in a few weeks for when I look at a band that really amped up the sex appeal of Hair Metal. See you then, and in the meantime.....don’t go breaking things, will ya?