Review: KISS - Sonic Boom

KISS - Sonic Boom Every so often, a band goes out on a limb and gets it right……KISS unfortunately are not one of those bands. Personally, I have been disappointed in them for a long time now on a new music level. Sure, they are great at selling us the nostalgia, and the live show, but new music……blah. …

The rumors about the new album started this year, and promised to be a return to ‘KLASSIC KISS’. I resided myself to thinking it was just Gene Simmons' way of making something out of nothing, and put the thought of Dressed To Kill 2 out of my noggin. Too many times , I have been let down by classic bands promising to bring back the glory days, only to shamelessly shit all over their legacy with some sub par crappy collection of garbage .

Then I heard Modern Day Delilah, AND FREAKED!!!!!!!!!! Could they have done it... Paul singing to the point of half shrieking, Gene laying down the fattest bass line since Deuce, and the other two wannabees holding their own???? Wow...

Let’s just say I was at Wal-Mart the day Sonic Boom was released and was a happy little camper when I opened that CD up and popped it in my car stereo. One after another, the songs kept coming, and they were actually good!! Russian Roulette is Gene being Gene, Never Enough (my personal favorite) has the Starchild doing what he does best - delivering a convincing, completely infectious chorus with metro sexual bravado, and hits it out of the park.

Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect) sounds like an outtake from Hot In The Shade, but is listenable in context, while Stand is lighter waiving material, yet falls on deaf ears as being too cheesy! Hot And Cold is awesome, and All For The Glory, with Eric Singer on vocals, is a true heavy hitter! The rest of the record kind of chugs along, including a great vocal attempt by Tommy Thayer on When Lightning Strikes, but the meat and potatoes are in the first half.

Coming with a bonus disk of re-recorded KISS classics, and a live DVD, Sonic Boom is a steal at $14. I have to admit, when it comes to waiting for a new record with anticipation, KISS has made a believer out of me. Now let’s see if they churn them out every 9 months like the old days :)

By Jason Rockman (Slaves On Dope)
Special To RockStar Weekly