Review: KISS ‘Sonic Boom’
by admin on Sep.15, 2009, under Opinion
For those of you who have been living on another planet for the past few months, Kiss is celebrating its 35th anniversary by releasing a new album entitled Sonic Boom in October, and the band has been hyping the new disc as the best Kiss has recorded since the heyday of its classic lineup with albums like Rock And Roll Over and Destroyer.
I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I first heard that. After all, Kiss is a band whose output has been, uh, “somewhat uneven” over the years, to put it diplomatically, and Kiss hasn’t exactly been shy about over-selling its work in the past, whether it was deserving or not.
Okay, okay, I admit it . . . I was wrong. It turns out Sonic Boom really is the album Kiss fans have been waiting for all these years. From its no-frills production (no apparent Pro Tools trickery here) to its uber-classic put-your-fist-in-the-air rock anthems, Sonic Boom is the most satisfying album by a “classic rock” artist I’ve heard since . . . honestly, since I don’t know when. Sadly, it’s kind of accepted that most bands that are 35 years into their career are going to release new work that is in no way comparable to the albums that made their legacy. Sonic Boom destroys that pre-conception by delivering an album as raw and vital as the best of Kiss’ back catalog.
The main thing that sets this record from some of Kiss’ uneven later studio efforts is that it has a true band identity. There are no pop songs from slick outside writers, and there isn’t a cast of thousands providing instrumental augmentation to the members of Kiss. This is a record that was written and performed by the members of Kiss, for better or worse. In this case it’s very much for the better. Sonic Boom has all of the hallmarks of a classic Kiss record; heavy guitar riffs informed by the melodic and harmonic pop craftsmanship of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, powerful rock drumming, strong bass lines, and lyrical, well-crafted guitar solos.
Gene Simmons’ public persona and marketing savvy often overshadow the fact that he’s a great bass player, and Sonic Boom is a return to the kind of melodic stylings that characterized the best of early Kiss. “Never Enough” and “Hot And Cold” contain some of Simmons’ best work in decades. As for Tommy Thayer, every track contains the kind of deliberate Ace Frehley-isms that could only come from someone who loves Kiss music as a fan first. Thayer’s take on these songs is such a tasteful amalgam of classic Kiss licks, stylings, tone and phrasing that it will have some fans wondering what year it is. It’s an approach that isn’t so much gimmicky as it is timeless. Paul Stanley and Eric Singer round out the album’s classic performances with contributions that are perfectly suited to each track.
I’m sure there are going to be those naysaying critics who carp that with Sonic Boom, Kiss is shamelessly pandering to a particular demographic base by deliberately tailor-making a record to fit its needs. In fact, maybe that’s exactly what they did. If so, then more power to ‘em. If more bands would bother to make great records that their fans will actually like, then maybe guys like me wouldn’t have to dread getting sent new work by older bands so much. I’ve been a Kiss fan since the mid-Seventies, and I can’t imagine any Kiss fan not liking Sonic Boom.
10 comments to “Review: KISS ‘Sonic Boom’”
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September 16th, 2009 on 4:31 am
I’m glad Gene and Paul have come up with some good new material, but you have to admit it’s pretty lame of them to use the classic Ace and Peter makeup on their replacements.
September 16th, 2009 on 8:59 am
I see the logic in it, although I understand why some fans feel as they do. Kiss is a business,and those characters are trademarks of that business. It’s part of their branding. If I’m not mistaken they also had to pay those guys to do so. There’s hardly a classic rock band out there that hasn’t replaced members. The Kiss situation is not unique in that. I can see the logic in saying,”We want to continue, those guys don’t . . . should we be limited by their drawbacks?” Of course I can also see why Ace and Peter might not be on board with that.
Thanks for your comment.
September 20th, 2009 on 12:54 am
Well, they could have come up with a couple of creative new designs for makeup that weren’t exactly like Peter and Ace.
Most people would still recognize them as KISS. Gene and Paul are the most recognizable to the average Joe anyway. Not to mention the look of the album cover and huge KISS logo is a pretty damn big tip off.
The only thing this really does is piss off the real fans of the band.
Sure, the fox and ankh were a little lame (Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent, respectively) but hire a good designer and that wouldn’t have been a problem!
Actually a bad business move, IMHO.
September 21st, 2009 on 11:30 pm
I heard the album at a listening party. I was skeptical about all the hype, but DAMN!!! This album is a kick in the ass and will nail your balls to the wall. Kudos, to KISS for showing all those young rockers wannabes how it is done and to say all doubters out there to KISS off. I can’t remember when I heard an album that rocks this hard and loud in a long time with such deep rooted passion from beginning to end. This is my top pick for album of the year. The KISS Army marches again in full force!!!
September 24th, 2009 on 6:20 am
HOLY HOLY HOLY COW!!! This album just seriously ROCKS. I’m blown away, can’t believe it…who would have thought it after the tragedy of Psycho Circus??? Following Revenge, that was such a disappointment but here it is over a decade later and KISS delivers the best album since, man, what…Revenge, Creatures, Destroyer? TOTALLY UNBELIEVABLE. “Say Yeah” is so dang catchy. I can’t believe how fresh this sounds while also hitting on nostalgia. For once you can tell the members of KISS had fun instead of laboring. As for Tommy Thayer, well, I never accepted him as a true member until now. Granted, he’s not Kulick but he’s not shabby! As Paul sings, “Let me hear you say yeah”. YEAH!!!
October 2nd, 2009 on 6:06 pm
I think people assumed this would be the worst thing in the world and since it’s only half as boring and crappy as expected, people seems surprised and somehow think this is good.
The production is way too slick and clean, no grit, the songs are crappy 80’s Crazy Nights era and the “snthems” were cliche 30 years ago.
I was actually hoping it would be halfway decent, by MDD is the only listenable song.
October 7th, 2009 on 10:24 am
I disagree totally with anyone who says that this is not one of the best KISS cds in years. I am not some fair weather fan. My first album was KISS ALIVE II; I got it for Christmas 1977 when I was eight. This year, I will be taking my daughter to see them in Atlanta. It will be my 21st KISS show. I have been there through the good (Destroyer and Rock n Roll Over), the bad (Crazy Nights and UnMasked), and the ugly (Music from the Elder). This is right up there with some of the better KISS cds. Sure, it is not as raw and fun as Love Gun and Dressed to Kill, but that was then, this is now. Kiss cds for the last 25 years have had there moments, but that was all there were: moments. Lick it up had hard driving songs like Young and Wasted and All Hell’s breaking loose, as well as ballads like A million to one. This cd has everything. One wonderful thing that it has is originality. Sonic Boom has the feel good message of Shout it out Loud with the hard edge of Jungle (Carnival of Souls) and Unholy (Revenge). Gene’s voice is much better than in years past. Paul is on point and energetic. Even though it is not the original line up, I believe it is the best line up they have ever had musically. The remixed tracks prove that the songs are timeless. I love the harder edge to songs like Deuce and Hotter than Hell. The DVD is good too. All for 12 bucks, what more could you want? I think that Modern Day Deliah, Stand, Hot and Cold,Danger Us, and Say Yeah will make it as KISS staples, even if they don’t get much play in the POP world, but that was never something that KISS has been about anyway.
October 8th, 2009 on 5:59 pm
1. KISS has never been the real KISS since Ace and Peter left and never will be. 70’s
2. Unmasked KISS was a different Band. Not even close to the original but some catchy songs came out of them. 80’s and 90’s
3. Half Kiss - Today’s Kiss is a fraud, It’s still fun to see the great shows and hear the old songs but in my heart there is something missing. 00’s
4. Quarter Kiss - I was at the show 2 years ago, where Paul was rushed to the hospital and Gene, Tommy and Eric did the show without him. That was different!
5. Sonic Boom has a few good songs I like. Never Enough, Nobody’s Perfect, and When Lightening Strikes. Tommy’s “When Lightening Strikes” sure sounds like an Ace song, rip off!
6. Ace’s Album, Anomaly, is like I told-ya! kick’s Sonic Boom’s ASS!!!. Outer Space so totally rocks dude! I got to hear Outer Space, Sister and Space Bear in a concert at the Viper Room the weekend before his album was released. Pain in the Neck, Foxy and Free, Too Many Faces, A Little Below The Angels, and cover of Fox on the Run are all classic Ace!!!
October 12th, 2009 on 2:58 pm
My opinion:
Take your past Kiss albums and remove all those genius, amazing songs that you really, really loved and leave just those other songs that you thought were ok, decent rockers but nothing special.
That’s what Sonic Boom sounds like to me. Someone forgot to put those magic songs on the album and left us with the decent but nothing special songs.
This is coming from a guy who has LOVED every single Kiss album (I know what you’re thinking - yes even that one) until now.
I like Sonic Boom but it’s nothing special.
Even Ace’s new album, which has its ups and downs, still managed to have a few great standout tracks.
October 19th, 2009 on 4:12 am
Typical phan boi poseurs arguing over makeup lol.