KISS Destroyer: the cover that was too violent the first time
Gene, Paul, Ace and Peter leap over rubble like comic book heroes, with a ruined city glowing behind them. And this is the calmer version. The first one was sent back.
Four figures in black and silver, faces painted, boots the height of a small building, caught mid-stride on top of a pile of rubble. Behind them a purple sky turns orange over a wrecked city. They look less like a rock band and more like a team of superheroes who have just finished saving, or flattening, the place. On this poster the whole scene sits inside a curling gold frame, with the painter's signature down in the lower left corner.
A fantasy painter meets KISS
The painting is by Ken Kelly, a fantasy and comic book artist who learned his craft in the studio of Frank Frazetta, to whom he was related by marriage. The story goes that KISS first wanted Frazetta himself, who was not available. Kelly was invited to a show with a backstage pass, and he later said the performance simply blew him away.
Too violent, try again
His first painting showed the band bursting out of a burning, destroyed city, in the costumes they had worn for the Alive! tour. Casablanca, the label, turned it down. Too violent, too much rubble and too many flames. Kelly later admitted he thought his career was over.
Instead he got a second chance. He repainted the scene with the band leaping onto the rubble in their new costumes, with the ruined city behind them. That second version is the one on the record, and on this poster.
The first painting did not stay hidden forever. It was finally used on Destroyer: Resurrected, the 2012 edition of the album. Kelly went on to paint the cover of Love Gun in 1977 too. He died in June 2022, at the age of 76.
The record behind it
Destroyer came out on 15 March 1976 on Casablanca. It was produced by Bob Ezrin, who had worked with Alice Cooper, and recorded in New York at Electric Lady Studios and the Record Plant. The single Detroit Rock City did not do much at first, but radio listeners started asking for its B-side, the ballad Beth sung by drummer Peter Criss. It reached number 7 in the US, the band's first top 10 hit, and Destroyer became the first KISS album to go platinum.
About the poster
This is the Destroyer sleeve printed as a large 55 × 75 cm (22 × 30 in) portrait poster, from 2023. It is an original magazine insert, never hung, with no staple holes, folded three times as issued. The sheet is double-sided, with Black Sabbath "Headless" on the back.
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Quick answers
Who painted the KISS Destroyer cover?
Ken Kelly, a fantasy artist who learned his craft in Frank Frazetta's studio. He also painted the cover of Love Gun.
Why was the first Destroyer cover rejected?
The label, Casablanca, thought it looked too violent, with too much rubble and fire. Kelly painted a second version, which became the cover.
When was Destroyer released?
On 15 March 1976, on Casablanca Records. It was produced by Bob Ezrin.
How big is the poster?
55 × 75 cm (about 22 × 30 inches), portrait. It is a separate insert, so it has no staple holes, and it is folded three times as issued.
What is on the other side?
Black Sabbath "Headless". The sheet is double-sided, so you choose which side goes on the wall.