God of thunder

• Gene Simmons - main vocals , bass
• Ace Freilly - The Main Guitar
• Paul Stanley - Rhythm Guitar
• Peter Criss - Drums
• Bob Ezrin - Keyboard , Sound Effects
• David and Josh Ezrina - voices

After working together, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are so accustomed to each other's song styles that they noticed the pattern that Paul’s songs were happier and more cheerful, and Gene’s songs were darker and darker. In this regard, they often joked with each other, and once Paul Stanley said: “Anyone can make a song in the style of Gene Simmons”, and to prove his statement, he came the next day with the song “God Of Thunder ". Gene Simmons changed some lines and sang it.

When I first heard the song, I immediately saw a fantasy in which something big and inspired came out of the mouth of the mountain heights and stood there - something from gloomy shadows. But Paul’s lyrics of God Of Thunder were a blunder — almost everything was about Aphrodite and love.

Original text

When I first heard the song, I immediately had visions of the scene in 'Fantasia' when the mountain top opens and this big winged thing is standing there - something from the dark shadows. But Paul's 'God Of Thunder' lyrics totally missed the point - they were almost about Aphrodite and love. "

- Guitar World, 8/92

To give a darker and more pathos atmosphere to the song, Gene Simmons changed the following lines:

1. “We make love 'til we bleed” on “hear my word and take heed”
2. "I was raised by the women" to "I was raised by the demons"
3. “I live for pleasure and fun” on “Trained to reign as the one”
4. In the chorus, “We'll take it slowly even more” changed to “Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul”
5. "Well I'm the master of leather" on "I'm the lord of the wastelands"
6. “Be you ancient or newborn (c'mon)” on “I gather darkness to please me”
7. “Come before me and kneel” to “And I command you to kneel before the”

While Gene, Paul and Smalling Junior were recording demo songs, Bob Ezrin recalls that it was not difficult to persuade Paul to give this song to Gene because of the subject and balance of the album at this point. Paul recalls that the song was a certain dedication song for Gene from him, and later Bob Ezrin decided that it would be Gene's song. In fact, the group agreed with the producer, but Paul Stanley always hoped that Ezrin’s last word would be agreed with him ^[1] .

Throughout the recordings of the song, Peter Criss was also offered several special effects. When the band was at the Record Plant in New York, Ezrin told Criss:

I'll put you in the elevator

Original text

I'm going to put you in an elevator.

- source: http://www.kissfaq.com/focus2/destroyer.html

At that time it was three or four in the morning and they were at the back of the building. Bob recorded drums on a microphone from the 14th floor. The microphones were in the elevator shaft and Peter played on two floor toms and a bass drum , which he had been placed in the elevator. Peter rode on his own and half the way the elevator doors opened and two trashmen came in to pick up the trash. Peter Criss continued to play, but laughed hysterically from the looks that they looked at him. He later noted that Ezrin was very creative ^[2] .

The children's voices in the song were made with the same 360-degree microphone as the entry into Detroit Rock City. Bob purchased a walkie-talkie kit, which included a phone mounted in a space helmet, the sound of which Ezrin liked, and presented as toys to his children. He asked the children to create the sounds of monsters with their help. Thus, David Ezrin and his brother Josh, who was 3 years old at the time, participated in Kiss recordings.

• Originally on the Destroyer album
• Live version in Alive II album
• Live version in Gold album
• Alternative live version on Kiss Symphony: Alive IV
• Redid version in Double Platinum
• The best-selling exclusive track on Kiss Alive! 1975-2000
• Original Demo Sung by Paul Stanley The Box Set

• Gene Simmons - bass , lead vocal
• Paul Stanley - rhythm guitar, vocals
• Ace Freilly - lead guitar
• Peter Criss - Drums

• David and Josh Ezrin - Voices on God of Thunder

• Death published a cover in the 1991 album Human .
• White Zombie released the eponymous vinyl cover in 1989.
• Swedish death metal band Entombed included a cover of this song in the album Sons of Satan Praise the Lord .
• A supergroup consisting of Rob Zombies (vocals), Slash (guitar), Ace Freilly (guitar), Gilby Clark (guitar), Tommy Lee (drums) and Scott Ian (bass) performed the song at the Kiss VH1 Rock Honors ceremony.
• Iced Earth released a cover of God of Thunder on their tribute album Tribute to the Gods .
• Rev Run samples the guitar riff from "God of Thunder" in his song, "The Way", on the album " Distortion "
• Rigor Sardonicous released a cover version of the song on Risus ex Mortuus .