KISS - review added 16th December 2009
Album Review: Sonic Boom (2009)
For fans of: Hard Rock... and a nice new bit of old
Sonic Boom is an unusual beast: a new KISS album. It's the first one for over a decade (the last being 1998's Psycho Circus) and marks a return to something more akin to the band's classic sound.
The present line-up, and the one officially used on the album (KISS have been renowned in the past for using session musicians in the studio) is Paul Stanley on rhythm guitar, Gene Simmons on bass, Tommy Thayer on lead guitar, and Eric Singer on drums. Everyone has a turn at vocals, although Paul and Gene are, as usual, the main leads.
Sonic Boom compares very well to previous release Psycho Circus; an album with a few immeasurably massive tracks, a few average songs and a couple of fillers. Sonic Boom on the other hand is much more consistent. The sound is pure glam tinged hard rock with plenty of cool harmonies. I'm not sure if the best track here matches 'Raise You Glasses' or 'Dreamin`' from the last LP, but there's plenty to like.
Sonic Boom nods to the sounds that made KISS great without retreading exactly the same footsteps. You could argue it's a tad too retro in places, but not to the overall detriment of the album. It's a grower too. It doesn't give up all it's secrets on the first few listens, which means there's some serious longevity in this release. There perhaps aren't any all-time classics on the album - something which KISS have been good at over the years - but, who knows? Maybe with time and enough listens a few tracks will rise to the occasion.
Overall, Sonic Boom is a decent release that safely and cleverly plays to the strengths of the band. No, it doesn't take any chances but, do KISS really need to these days?
Check out... 'I'm An Animal' - just about my favourite track.
Track List:
1. Modern Day Delilah
2. Russian Roulette
3. Never Enough
4. Yes I Know [Nobody's Perfect]
5. Stand
6. Hot And Cold
7. All For The Glory
8. Danger Us
9. I'm An Animal
10. When Lightning Strikes
11. Say Yeah
Label: Roadrunner Records
Artist's website(s): KISS , MySpace
