I have been an obsessed fan of Kiss since the age of six. I have seen them perform live more than twenty times since the age of nine. I have collected every album, every DVD release, as well as countless pieces of merchandise and memorabilia that the band has marketed over the years. They are one of a handful of bands whose music I will always purchase without question. Knowing that, I'm sure you can imagine my excitement when the band announced that they were planning to release a CD of new tunes in the fall of 2009! The word elated doesn't even begin to cover my reaction to the news!
Thanks to an exclusive deal with the nation's largest retail chain, the band's latest CD, Sonic Boom, hit the shelves of Walmart stores on October 6, 2009. Sonic Boom is the first disc of new material from the legendary rockers in nearly eleven years, and their forty-third release overall. Of course, they hyped the album endlessly. They promised that it would be classic KISS in every sense, and that it would hearken back to their glory days of the 1970s. Needless to say, I was counting the days impatiently.
As much as I wanted to believe the hype, I have to admit that part of me was skeptical. I knew that I would enjoy the final product regardless, because I always do with KISS. However, I also knew that they had a huge past to live up to, and it wasn't going to be easy to achieve some of the things they were claiming...especially when one stops to consider the many things they seemed to have working against them. After all, founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were now preparing to enter their sixties, and they had not produced any new music as a band in more than a decade.
In addition, their last release, 1998's Psycho Circus, had been something of an oddity. While it did have some very good moments, it was not a very cohesive effort. In my opinion, it often sounded so disjointed that it was difficult to listen to. Many people also felt cheated by the fact that they had sold that record as a reunion album with former members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss. Although Ace and Peter did indeed appear on the album, their contributions to it had been minimal. In fact, most of the guitars were completed with the help of session musicians...even including former guitarist Bruce Kulick on one track.
As I waited for Sonic Boom to be released, I kept coming back to all of those reasons in my mind, and I have to say that it only fueled my skepticism. I knew that this would have to be a very strong album that lived up to the claims that the band was making about it. I knew that if it didn't, then the record would not sell well. I also knew that if that turned out to be the case, this would likely be the band's final album. Given the fact that KISS has been a part of my life and a source of enjoyment for so long, I'd hate to see that happen.
When release day finally came, I could hardly contain myself! I went to my local Walmart, anxious to finally get my hands on this thing! Unfortunately, my excitement was met with disappointment when I discovered that, due to a late shipment, my local store did not yet have it in stock. So I was forced to order it on line at Walmart.com, and wait on pins and needles for 3 more days.
The first thing I did upon receiving my mail the following Friday was to tear open the package faster than a kid on Christmas day, drop this opus into my CD changer, and hit play. My initial reaction to the sound that met my ears was one of surprise. The record was very good, but definitely not what I was expecting to hear. The guys had definitely turned in a solid, cohesive rock album; the guitars crunched, the bass boomed, and the drums sounded like cannon fire! But to be honest, I didn't really feel that it was reminiscent of their 1970s heyday as they had claimed. To me, this record sounded more like some of their material from the early Eighties.
Musically, this record is a great time. All of the tunes are upbeat rockers that are just fun and filled with energy. The opening cut, Modern Day Delilah, is a total rocker that will stand up well alongside of all the band's classics. In fact, this is probably the one song on the record that does come pretty close to their classic sound. Heavy power chords, and a great Paul Stanley vocal. Other standout tracks include: Never Enough, Stand, I'm An Animal, and the first KISS track to feature a lead vocal by current Kiss drummer Eric Singer, called All For The Glory.
However, the down side is that with one or two exceptions, the lyrical content on most of the album leaves a lot to be desired. This is particularly true of Gene Simmons' contributions to the record. They sound like he scribbled them down in about thirty seconds with very little thought. Of course, KISS has never exactly been known for a deep, thought provoking lyrical message, but much of this is lowbrow even for them.
For me, that was only a minor thing though, and it's the only complaint that I have about the new CD. Overall, it is a great CD that is a worthy addition to the band's impressive catalog. It is good enough to please long-time fans, and maybe even attract a few new ones. I would definitely recommend this one to anyone. Sonic Boom is nothing profound or life-changing, but all things considered, it is one heck of a good time!
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