The fact that KISS (at last) decided to write music again and enter the studio after eleven years, in order to release a new album, is a ray of hope that their music is still alive.  Trying to avoid exaggerations like “…one of the best KISS albums ever…” and the likes, I literally melted the cd before I put a single word on it. And here we are…This is a pretty good album but…hey… hold your horses…

Last Kiss studio album “Psycho Circus” (1998), under the original lineup, was disapproved by many fans (mostly later), when some years after its release, and after Ace and Peter had left the band, KISS themselves announced that Ace had only performed for 3 tracks in the album, while Peter was only participating for “Into The Void”. This is no news for the dedicated KISS fan, since it is known that since 1975 and “Dressed To Kill”, they made it a habbit to play each other instruments (…) or use unaccredited musicians in several of the songs. 

This is 2009 and the KISS are back in the studio to records their new “Sonic Boom”. With their 70s roots as their “new” vision, they try to re-approach their 70s sound by recording analog, while they hired Michael Doret to design the cover, after his classic work for “Rock And Roll Over” back in 1976. The question is, how can you try to catch your 70s self again, while two of the most important factors of the era, namely Ace and Peter, are not there. Ace’s absence is especially evident for the album and for the band just because you cannot replace a legend just wearing his makeup and trying to sound like him. KISS is a band that needs musicians with a personality and not clones. Just that simple.

Let’s move on to the album. What I noticed after countless sessions, is that this Sonic Boom is quite cleverly orchestrated, combining bits and pieces from several eras of the band. The main guitar riffs are indeed based on the 70s KISS sound, while the chorus melodies, with the exception of “Yes I know (Nobody’s Perfect)”, have borrowed several elements from almost all of the band’s eras after 1982.

The album opens up with “Modern Day Delilah”, an exquisite Zeppelinisque song that really makes it. Gene’s first cut is next, “Russian Roulette” which brings “Revenge” to mind (the opening break and the fast temp change that follows), mixed with a 70s rock ;n roll riff, which is also evident on the next track, the amazing “Never Enough” by Paul Stanley. “Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)” is the only track in the album that I’d really say that it could be written in the 70s. This is Gene at his best and one of the strong ones in the album. “Stand” is next and while it sounds promising at its start, the poor chorus makes it average. This is where the album stalls and up to the “When The Lightning Strikes”, the songs are but average. “Hot ‘n Cold”, “All For The Glory”, “Danger Us” and “I’m An Animal” sound more like fillers. Eric sings for “All For The Glory” and he does a pretty decent job. “When the Lightning Strikes” is the debut by Tommy “Fake Ace” Thayer. It is a good, powerful song, with admirable vocals. Stanley closes the album with a surprise. “Say Yeah” and just by the title of it you expect something more and it delivers. It might be the only song non-related to the rest of the album since it is fully clothed in Paul’s “Live To Win” style but who cares? It is Huge!!! (To be honest, the intro of the song is “borrowed” out of Springsteen’s “Radio Nowhere”).

Concluding, I’d say that “Sonic Boom” is indeed and very good album, considering where KISS stand today. It’s guitar parts are based on the 70s sound (mostly) while the choruses flirt with the more contemporary eras of the band, mixing past and present smoothly and in a clever way. Very good as it is, KISS can do much better in all aspects. However, some times you can only give what you have…