KISS | Destroys Anaheim '76
50th-anniversary edition, marking one of the most groundbreaking concerts in KISStory. On August 20, 1976, KISS played in front of their largest audience to date – more than 42,000 fans – at Anaheim Stadium. The concert was originally recorded by Eddie Kramer on this historic evening and has now been remixed by Kramer directly from the original multitrack tapes.
The more than 60-minute long concert will be released on 180-gram black 2LP vinyl and includes an insert with liner notes, as well as previously unreleased photographs and images of memorabilia. Also available on CD.
KISS is undoubtedly one of rock history's most iconic and influential live bands. With their theatrical thunder, face paint, and explosive stage shows, they revolutionized the definition of a rock concert in the 1970s.
KISS in 1976: When Shock Rock Conquered the World
In 1976, KISS was a cultural phenomenon that was pushing the boundaries of what popular culture could encompass. After the massive breakthrough with the live album "Alive!" in 1975, the band released the legendary studio album Destroyer in the spring of 1976. The album cemented their status as global superstars with immortal classics like "Detroit Rock City," "Shout It Out Loud," and the unexpected power ballad "Beth."
Where traditional rock bands let the music speak for itself, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss transformed their performances into a total theatre. It was in 1976 that the "KISS Army" fan club truly grew into an unstoppable army of loyal followers, and the merchandise machine began to roll at full throttle. The band managed to strike a perfect synergy between hard-hitting rock 'n' roll and comic-book-like mystique, which fascinated an entire generation of young people across the globe. They were dangerous, they were loud, and they were by far the biggest name on the American music scene.
The Concert at Anaheim Stadium: An Explosive Display of Power
On August 20, 1976, the band's Destroyer Tour hit Anaheim Stadium in California, and this evening would go down in history as one of the most legendary performances in "KISStory." The concert was the band's largest headlining show to date on American soil, where they played in front of over 42,000 ecstatic fans. Just three years prior, they had played in small clubs for a handful of people – now they were taking over a gigantic stadium.
The show was a true display of power in visual and auditory opulence. The audience was blown away by an arsenal of pyrotechnics, flamethrowers, levitating drum kits, and Gene Simmons, who spat blood and fire during his repulsive bass solo for "God of Thunder." The concert was originally professionally recorded by legendary producer Eddie Kramer from the original multi-track tapes. It is precisely these raw, energetic recordings that are now, after 50 years, finally being officially released in razor-sharp quality on vinyl and CD under the title KISS Destroys Anaheim '76. The release captures a hungry and energized band delivering raw, unadulterated energy and showing exactly why they deserved the throne as the world's wildest live band.