Three more songs to go, gang. Hope you’re having a righteous Halloween!

And let’s be real, there was NO way I was gonna do a list of buttkickin’ Halloween songs without including something by KISS. And believe you me, the Lords of Rock Theatricality and Spectacle had a host of great songs to choose from (and will most assuredly be making an appearance in next year’s list). I went with one of the ‘safer’ choices with God Of Thunder, written by Paul but has long since become one of Gene’s signature tunes. Think splitting blood, flying up to the rafters, all that nonsense. Good stuff.

The lyrics are about as deep as a wading pool, little more than fantastical self-aggrandizement and egocentric myth-making and what-not, but all of it works so damn well it’s hard to put down, and if you do you might be taking the song (or yourself) entirely too seriously. I mean, it’s KISS. I’ll make no bones about their being one of my favorite all-time bands, but if you’re looking for depth and nuance you might be smoking the wrong Eskimo Pie wrapper, know what I mean?

Anyway, the original studio cut was on the 1976 Destroyer album, but the live track from the 1978 Alive II LP absolutely smokes it. It’s harder, faster, more intense, and that modulation on Gene’s voice during the final verse absolutely knocks it out of the park.