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List Price: $32.98 | | Label: Indie Europe/Zoom
Salesrank: 20700
Released: October 20, 2009 |
| Our Price: $17.99 |
| Used Price: $33.90 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
2009 album from the Rock legends. After a nine year wait, Kiss release the studio album Sonic Boom. Featuring 11 brand new Kiss anthems, Sonic Boom is an emphatic statement from one of Rock's most iconic bands. Says guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley: "The purpose of this album isn't to let people know that we're still around - it's to let people know we can still knock out anybody who's out there!"
Sonic Boom Reviews:
ONE OF THEIR BEST YET 
2009-12-24 - Well I pretty much read most of the other reviews in this section; most folks are fans, and like everything KISS, you either like it or hate it. Frankly, that's the way it should be; the music should make you come or throw up. Me, well I think it's the best KISS LP since the 1st LIVE album.
Some of the best songwriting, playing, and singing I have heard for a long friggin' time; at least since Appetite by the Gunners. I mean, they don't really play NEW Hard Rock on the radio anymore.
I truly was blown away by the entire CD, and I can't remember when I heard a new CD w/NO FILLER in it. Amazing. Crank it up, pop open a cool Schlitz, and enjoy...
Sonic Boom - A start in the right direction..... 
2009-12-21 - After my first listen to Sonic Boom....I felt a bit confused as to how I felt about it. Seems like everything they did pertaining to the album is top notch. Production.....overall sound...etc. I just feel that there could have been better song writing. I enjoy the record. Don't get me wrong. But there are a few songs that I feel should have been reworked. Or thrown out all together. But...I'm hoping this is just the 1st album from the band as they are today. Let Eric Singer have his other kick drum back. He's one of the best melodic double-bass drummers around. And Tommy doesn't necessarily have to play everything like Ace would have. The next album from this version of the band should be excellent. But if you're a Kiss fan (as I have been for 30 years) you'll want this album.
A bonified hit... plus a handful of other good tunes here 
2009-12-19 - THE BAND: Paul Stanley (vocals, guitar), Gene Simmons (vocals, bass), Tommy Thayer (guitar), Eric Singer (drums and percussion).
THE DISCS: (2009) Three discs (2 music, 1 DVD): disc-1 is new material (11 tracks clocking in at approximately 43 minutes), disc-2 is updated newly recorded takes on old material (15 tracks, approximately 54 minutes) and disc-3 is the DVD (6 songs, 34 minutes). Included with the music is a 20-page booklet containing song lyrics/credits, one band photo, credits and thank yous. New material recorded at Conway Studios (Hollywood, CA), and The Nook (Studio City, CA). Cover art by Michael Doret (who also did "Rock And Roll Over" from 1976). This is the band's 19th studio album. Label - Kiss Records... in 2009, new copies sold exclusively at Wal-Mart.
COMMENTS: I got excited when I heard the first hit, "Modern Day Delilah" on the radio... the band's best charting song of the decade. OK, not really a fair statement since it's been 11 years since their last album ("Psycho Circus"). Either way, it sounded good and being a long time Kiss fan I was happily on board again. On first listen, the disc of new tunes sounded good. Not great, but good. Paul has lead vocal duties on 6 songs; Gene on five. Paul Stanley once again shows he's the best writer of the band. And annoyingly, Gene is still singing about scoring with the ladies (the autobiographical "I`m An Animal" seems to fit)... and you shouldn't be surprised after 30+ years of listening to the self professed doctor of love. "Modern Day Delilah" is easily the album's best song. "Never Enough" is a rocking anthem of a tune - even if parts are borrowed from Poison's "Nothing But A Good Time"... seriously. My favorite tracks with Simmons' singing is "Russian Roulette" along with "Stand" which he shares with Stanley. Like albums from the 70's and 80's, Stanley and Simmons throw their lead guitarist and drummer a bone - and they let them sing a song each on the album. "All For The Glory" features Eric Singer on lead vocals - decent job - and there are weird similarities to a throaty Peter Criss here. Tommy Thayer sings on "When Lightning Strikes" - an average track that would make even Christopher Walken smile (more cowbell please). Overall I think "Sonic Boom" is a decent album... it's not a classic, but it's certainly not a throw away. If you had to compare this to another Kiss album, I'd say it resembles "Psycho Circus" (1998) the most. Several reviews are comparing this release to their 70's material - no chance I'll admit to that. And, this album doesn't have that hard or grungy edge that "Revenge" (1992) or "Carnival Of Souls - The Final Sessions" (1997) had. "Sonic Boom" is easily more pop and bubble gum than metal. The 2nd disc is a fresh take on Kiss "Klassics" (as it's written on the cd). 11 of the 15 tracks are from the 70's albums, and the balance from the 80's. The highlight here for me is listening to Singer on drums - a much more accomplished drummer than Criss - Singer adds his own flair and it gives the songs a nicely updated touch. Highlights here are "Hotter Than Hell", "Detroit Rock City" and "Black Diamond" (with Singer on vocals). The DVD is short - 6 songs ("Deuce", "Hotter Than Hell", C'Mon & Love Me", "Watchin` You", "100,000 Years" and "Rock & Roll All Nite") taken from a show in Buenos Aires, Argentina... sadly, with no bonus features. Two complaints here - the DVD footage is grainy and the viewer may get the feeling that this is more of a bootleg production; Paul looks different - he must have run out of Aquanet - his hair is freakishly flat. And lastly - Stanley and Simmons bowing down to the almighty Wal-Mart... is anyone really surprised? Overall "Sonic Boom" has a bonified hit; a handful of other good tunes; a sub par DVD; and a cartoonish album cover. Worth it in the end? I guess...... (3+ stars).
Kiss Sonic Boomer
2009-12-19 - I've been Kiss Fan since 76 and I have GROWN with the band through the years..All line ups...I really like Sonic Boom! Is it great? No. Very good? Yes! There are some very good songs on this album, Delilah, Russian Roulette, Say Yeah, Never Enough, When Lightning Strikes, Animal, Stand, and Danger Us. That's 8 really good songs out of 11 in my opinion. Most cds have 10 songs and one or two decent songs. This one has 8. Eric's All for the Glory and Gene's Hot and Cold and Nobody's Perfect are OK but I feel are lacking. Eric's voice is great, but I'm just tired of the Anthem, One for all and All for One type song from Kiss..There was enough of that on Psycho Circus with Pledge Allegiance to the State Of Rock N Roll etc...Gene's two songs I previously mentioned sound 80's Gene to me...The 80's owwww howl and the silly lyrics, "out of the frying pan into the fire, moth to the flame type" are getting old and lame.. I love the intro music for Hot N Cold, very heavy, catchey guitar, but then it totaly changes to the campy main body..I wonder if he'd stayed with the great intro part how tough a song that could have made! It really got my attention and still does when it's starts off, but then it leads me quickly into wishing it had been better! PLEASE MAKE NEVER ENOUGH A SINGLE AND VIDEO AND PLEASE PLAY IT LIVE! IT IS A MAJOR HIT GEM ON THIS ALBUM! It is as catchey as Shout It Out Loud, Tomorrow and Tonight, Lick It Up, Heavens On Fire and Rock N Roll All Night! Thanks Gene and Paul for keeping it going and Alive! I hope for more albums down the road..Never stop rocking! As for Ace and Peter, you are always in my heart and I love your music too, but it was time for us all to GROW thru the years with the original Kiss Line up or the others that have been and are..Personally I chose to grow..The Reunion Tour was good and the Farewell was good, but Ace was basically a "Tree" on stage, he barely moved and Peter was dragging the songs..I wish them and the new Kiss line up the Best! I have been fortunate enough to see all line ups of the band live since the 70's and I saw them this year in Hampton, VA and I was happily blown away! Great show!!..The best, in my opinion since 79 Dynasty! I loved it and if they come back to America please go and see them you won't be disappointed! Sonic Boom will not disappoint you either!
Kiss Inc.
2009-12-19 - As far as being a Kiss fan goes, I'm no die-hard fanatic like the trillions out there and I've never seen them live, but I still consider myself a fan as I do own (and enjoy) several Kiss albums and DVD's. Unlike many fans I have no nostalgic feelings that the original 70's line-up of the band is the best line up. I don't wish for a reunion with Peter Criss And Ace Frehley. In fact I believe that Kiss took a huge step forward musically when these guys were no longer in the band. I like some of the 70's Kiss music but for me the best Kiss music came in the mid 80's to early 90's, with Revenge from 1992 being my all time favorite Kiss album.
My biggest gripe about Kiss is that since 1992, Psycho Circus in 1998 was the only album of new material they have released until Sonic Boom in 2009. There is no doubt that "Kiss Inc." is all about making money, and even Gene Simmons has admitted it's all about the dollar, but these guys (Simmons and Paul Stanley) have ridden on the coat tails of their past glories for far too long in my opinion, releasing too may greatest hits and live albums during these lean years. Yes they have been touring and putting on shows which (according to those who have been to them) have been as good, if not better than ever. But come on, two new albums in the last seventeen years? Not good enough. If it really is "all about the fans" as these guys claim, they would have recorded more new albums in that time. But no, these guys are shrewd businessmen first, rock `n' rollers second. They have realized that the music industry is no longer what it was before the mid 1990's. They know that the internet has resulted in illegal downloading and file sharing of music, which in turn has resulted in less albums sold in the stores, thus less dollars in their pockets. They know that the real money is made these days by selling out large venues for live shows (and the merchandising that goes with it) and there is absolutely no doubt that these guys are masters of the live show. Hence tour after tour but no new album for eleven years now. Great for Paul & Gene, but for us fans? Not good enough.
Ok, that's my opinion on Kiss the band, now how about the new album? Well there's no doubt that Kiss Inc. has carefully thought this one out before starting it and have aimed it squarely at the die-hard fans who still love the 70's Kiss best of all. It is a very, very retro album in terms of the style of songs on it, the production and even the cover art work.
Whilst the production is good and the mix of instruments and vocals is spot on with the vocals out front of the mix where they should be, the overall sound in general is more in line with 70's Kiss sound. Rather than the crisp, clean, polished Kiss sound from albums Crazy Nights through to Psycho Circus, this album is much more raw in sound.
The style of songs is also very much more in line with 70's Kiss which both Simmons and Stanley have stated they were aiming to achieve, so in that they have succeeded very well. The songs are just simple, straight ahead rock `n' roll tunes with a heavier edge. With an album title of Sonic Boom you would expect the album to kick off with a bang. But it doesn't. Modern Day Delilah with Paul Stanley on vocals is an okay song, but nothing more than an average mid-tempo rocker. Russian Roulette with Gene Simmons on vocals follows it, and is no better. In fact I prefer the opener because Paul is a better singer with a better voice than Gene. Never Enough is track three with Paul on vocals again, and this is where the album gets going. It's nothing more than a rock `n' roller with a heavier edge, but none the less it's still an instantly likeable song with pure Kiss all over it. This would have been a better choice for an opener, but thankfully from this song on the rest of the album rocks on in the same manner with track nine I'm An Animal (Gene on vocals) being the only exception. It's not a ballad, and in fact there are no ballads on this album at all which is a good thing. No doubt they gave serious thought to doing a "Beth" type song but thankfully they didn't. However I'm An Animal is a slower song with a heavier riff, but it's a plodding song that really goes nowhere and is the worst song on the album.
Tommy Thayer sings lead vocal on track ten When Lightning Strikes and he sounds quite a bit like Gene Simmons. This is a great rocker and one of the best songs on the album. Eric Singer also gets his chance for lead vocals on track seven All For The Glory, and his voice sounds a bit huskier and whilst he's not an outstanding vocalist either, he does a good job and it's still a good rocking song. Track four Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect) and track six Hot And Cold see Simmons with lead vocals again and these two are the best songs he sings on the album. Simmons and Stanley share lead vocals on track five Stand which is one of the better songs on the album, and Stanley has lead vocals on track eight Danger US (another good rocker) and the album closer Say Yeah. This is a great song to close with, a good rocker which I think is definitely the best song on the album.
So whilst Soinc Boom does actually get off the ground with more of a sonic fizzle, it does get better from there. These songs have no doubt been well thought out and crafted to fit in with their live show, and to that end they work. I can visualize these guys playing them in a live show with great crowd interaction. I think that whilst these guys never set the world on fire with clever lyrics you actually don't expect that from Kiss either, but you do get rock `n' roll.
I think Sonic Boom is a good, enjoyable album. Yet I can't help feel that there is something missing. Some say it's the "magic" and maybe it is. But I think it's more than that. For me it is obvious that Sonic Boom suffers badly from a lack of Paul Stanley. He only sings lead vocals on four tracks and shares on another. To me he is the voice of Kiss. I know the others can sing too and deserve to have a go at lead vocals, but Stanley should be all over this album and he just isn't. It's like a Rolling Stones album where Mick Jagger only sings four or five songs and Keith Richards does the rest. Keef can sing too, but would it be what the fans want from The Stones? Of course not, and same goes for Kiss.
But that's not all of it either. A lack of Paul Stanley is bad enough, but there's more to it than that. I can't help but feel that what we have with this album is Kiss Inc. rather than Kiss the rock `n' rollers. I think they realize that they have become more of a nostalgia act these days, perhaps the ultimate cover band of themselves even? I know that they have been there, done that and don't have anything to prove anymore, but it seems like they have given up altogether in trying to push the boundaries or themselves. Sadly I think they have become content with this, but I haven't. Whilst I like the album, I am still ultimately left feeling a bit disappointed with it, and feel a little short changed.
Where will they go from here? Who knows? It could be the last album of new material we hear from them, but with the talents of Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer I reckon they could push things further musically like they did when Bruce Kulick was on board. The question is do they want to?
