Customer Reviews

Sonic Boom-Limited

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

11 years. That's how long Kiss fans like me have waited for a new album with new songs. And we've finally got it. 11 songs for 11 years of waiting, perhaps?

This is vintage Kiss, not grunge-Kiss or disco-Kiss or glam-Kiss. The songs go right back to Kiss basics, with lines like "I like candy sweet" running rampant. The idea of a 4-man band with a combined age of 216 singing these songs is a tad ridiculous...or at least it would be if they SOUNDED like they had an average age of 54 (ranging from Tommy at 48yo to Gene at 60yo).

Most fans have heard Modern Day Delilah already, and I'm sorry to say that's the only Sonic Boom song slated for the new tour (go YouTube MDD & you can hear it if you haven't already). I wish they could've picked maybe 3 songs at least from SB to play live in concert because, yes, the album really is that good. Just my personal highlights...

The ultra-catch Stanley/Thayer penned tune "Never Enough" which is sung by Paul. Seriously, Paul sounds just as good as he ever did throughout his 35 years in Kiss...and that actually goes for his singing on the whole album.

"Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)" is my favorite from Gene. It hit me right away that this was a gem. He hasn't sounded this alive (no pun intended) in a long time...but then, we've waited 11 years for a new Kiss song from Gene.

"Stand" is a great duet from Paul & Gene, albeit a little...I dunno, maybe a bit overdone in certain parts. But its definitely catchy all around.

"All For The Glory" was written by Paul & Gene, but Eric sings it. I *LOVE* Eric's voice, he sounds incredible! Even though he won't be singing this in concert (unless they change the song lineup), at least we'll get to hear him sing Black Diamond (one of my all-time faves).

"Danger Us" is a Paul song that makes you wonder, "Why'd they wait 11 years?? He's still got it!!" Just another really catchy tune with the line "Danger You, Danger Me, Danger Us!" and man, it sticks with you!

"When Lightning Strikes" is written by Thayer/Stanley and sung by Tommy. I'm one of the many who wishes Tommy & Eric could just be Tommy & Eric instead of "Spaceman & Catman," and I also wish Tommy didn't try to sound so much like Ace on the guitar. But one thing he doesn't do is try to sound like Ace when he's singing this song. In fact, not a knock on Ace's vocals (gotta love the Original Spaceman) but Tommy is damn good. Take him for what he's paid to do, give this song an honest listen, and you'll appreciate it.

"Say Yeah!" is written & sung by Paul, and some are hailing it as "the anthem" of Sonic Boom. Its good, but I wouldn't call it the best song on here. Its a matter of opinion, but I do like the song & I can see Paul trading vocals with the fans in the audience on this one...if they add it to their set list.

So that's my review. Didn't wanna bore people with a review of every single song, just hitting what I thought was most important. And on another note, this is (supposed to be) the 3-disc edition available at Walmart for $12, due out on Tuesday October 6th. The other 2 discs are a 6-song concert DVD (Deuce, Hotter Than Hell, C'mon and Love Me, Watchin' You, 100000 Years, Rock and Roll All Nite) and a reissue of 2008's Jigoku Retsuden (15 Kiss classics re-recorded with Tommy & Eric). Remember, this is only $12 at Walmart for these 3 discs! Quite the steal!!

My first recollection of KISS is when they appeared on ABC's In Concert program in 1974. This was a life-changing event for me. To me it was like super-heroes formed a killer rock band; I never saw anything quites like it before. Their innovative style set the bar for rock-n-roll way up there. I was hooked and have been part of the KISS ARMY ever since. However, times change and unfortunately so do trends. Some bands feel they have to change their approach to suit the times and KISS fell in to this trap. Once they started to shed original members and ditched their costumes and make-up to jump aboard the hair-band wagon I was deeply disappointed and my loyalty waned. I never bought any albums after 'Love Gun'.

Jump ahead to '96-'97 when KISS anounced THE REUNION TOUR with original line-up, costumes and make-up. I was elated and saw the opening show at Tiger's Stadium in DETROIT ROCK CITY with 40,000 other ARMY members. Finally I thought they were back on track. Then came 'Psycho Circus' and I thought to myself what happen? 'Circus' was really bad - glad I didn't waste my money on that one; dissapointed returned once more.

Now it's 2009 and my wife, bless her heart, surprises me with tickets to KISS ALIVE 35 at COBO HALL in DETROIT ROCK CITY. I went to the concert, the last one at the famed arena, and got hooked all over again. The show blew me away - I was happier than a kid on Christmas morning. Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, the new members of KISS, did an excellent job and if I didn't know any better I would've thought they were Ace and Peter. When I bought a shirt at the show I saw all of this 'Sonic Boom' stuff everywhere; I didn't even know there was a new album out. I bought 'Boom' when they released it a couple of weeks later and I was very skeptical to say the least. I gave it a fair shot and I have to say it's good and it actually takes me back to a better time and place. 'Sonic Boom' gradually builds steam and each track just gets better and better. This is destined to be another KISS classic and it's clearly a throw-back to earlier, more fertile times. Occasionally Paul and Gene try to venture into the 80's but then they come to their senses and remember how good the 70's really were. The tracks co-written by Tommy Thayer are especially tasty: 'Never Enough', 'I'm An Animal' and 'When Lightning Strikes'. To me, 'I'm An Animal' is an updated 'God Of Thunder'. 'Stand' and 'All For The Glory' are destined to be anthems for the next generation of the KISS ARMY. My personal fave has to be 'Danger Us' - it really hits the spot. The bonus disc of Klassic Kiss really blew me away too. I thought it was remixed/remastered originals recordings at first, but then I discovered it was new recordings of old standards. Some of the recordings are so close to the originals it's uncanny, but it clearly shows the boys can still deliver the goods. Bonus DVD too - not a bad deal for what you'd normally pay for one disc these days.

So there you have it from a long time fan who has seen and listened to all things KISS. In a nutshell I say it's damn good. Do yourself a favor and buy it - then go and see a KISS show while you still can - it won't last forever.

I am a long time Kiss fan from the 70's. I was not expecting much from this album but must say it actually is pretty good. It has a sound and feel that is reminiscent of earlier Kiss albums. Even if you are a hard core fan of the original lineup this one deserves a listen. You might be pleasantly surprised.

From the Rock and Roll Over inspired cover art to the bonus disc of re-recorded "Kiss Klassics," Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (the along with painted faces of Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer), "Sonic Boom" wants you to party like it's 1976. The good news is that the album is pretty darn good considering the band's age. Hearing Gene sing "maybe it's time to take off your clothes!" at age 60 (from "Yes I Know") is kind of silly. At the same time, "Sonic Boom" packs as much punch as the last truly decent KISS album, Revenge. "Stand" could easily be a KISS Koncert anthem.

One also needs to remember that the members of KISS are really, and I mean really, wealthy. In a USA Today article of the day "Sonic Boom" was released, Gene bragged about being worth $100,000,000. So it's not like he and Stanley have anything to prove musically. With that, the album delivers all you'd expect from a rock album rooted in the seventies. There's sleazy sexism ("Yes I Know" and "Hot and Cold"), power rock anthems ("Say Yeah," "Stand" and "All For The Glory") and some serious rocking on "Modern Day Delilah." I even dig the goofy pun Stanley came up with when he barks "Danger you, danger me....dangerrrrrr-us!" Amazingly, it all works.

It works even better if you imagine that it's 1978 and Love Gun was in the cassette box along with Live, Van Halen and The Grand Illusion on your car seat. If that was you, "Sonic Boom" will take you back. The bonus disc will also bother you. While it sounds like a dress rehearsal for the new tour, the new band doing note-for-note recreations of most of the major Kiss Katalog (even the Michael Bolton/Paul Stanley ballad "Forever") is going to remind you that these guys are getting up there. "Christine Sixteen" sounds horrible re-sung, and one of the best things about the original trio of albums was the gritty hunger that clawed out of the speakers when you first discovered Hotter Than Hell or Deuce. Maturity doesn't re imagine these songs well.

Given the bonus CD isn't the big reason for picking up "Sonic Boom," well, it's worth a deuce to buy it. For guys eligible for their AARP cards and still kicking out, the album helps put the "X" is sexagenarian.

This new KISS Sudio CD was way overdue! Most of the songs are pretty good. The first single Modern Day Delilah is really good--like most of the cd, It sounds across between stuff from Rock N Roll Over/Love Gun/ mixed with a little Animalized/Asylum. I actually think one of the best tracks is the one sang by Tommy Thayer--When Lightning Strikes. The Gene songs are kinda a revisit to his 78 solo cd like Hot and Cold and Nobody's Perfect. Paul's Danger Us sounds kinda AC/DC-ish and Never Enough Kinda sounds like Poison's Nothin' But a Good Time (But, then again, Nothin' but a good time's intro. riff sounds like KISS' Duece!) Eric's lead vocal song: All for the Glory is really good and a highlight of the cd...The band sounds tight on the cd and Tommy plays well, but, sometimes some of his guitar solos sound like he just pieced together old ACE Solos to these songs..I know KISS is tying to keep the old sound, but I KNOW Tommy has it in him to offer more original axe work--For his song writing ability certainly shines on When Lightning Strikes...

The KISS Klassics cd was a dissappointment..Many of the songs sound very weak..Was expecting them to be heavier, yet, the mix of them sound too poppy. The worst is FOREVER--Paul just sounds so weak on it--Which is suprising since his vocals really did shine in a new light on his LIVE TO WIN solo cd..The better of these re-recordings are HEAVEN'S ON FIRE, I LOVE IT LOUD, LICK IT UP and BLACK DIAMOND with Eric Singer on lead vocals (I always thought, back in the day when Smashes, Thrashes and Hits was released, they should have redid BLACK DIAMOND with ERIC CARR on vocals instead of him doing BETH--Since, Like ERIC SINGER, Carr also did BLACK DIAMOND live..) The highlight of this set is the 6 song live DVD..Was hoping the bonus disc would have featured some in the studio footage of them making SONIC BOOM, but...

This cd is way better than Psycho Circus and glad KISS didn't stop there with studio cds--since it was such a mix bag and a disappointment with the fact that Ace and Peter were basicly replaced with session players--Including that it was rumored that Tommy Thayer actually played on much of the cd....

It gets four stars because I still think the best studio KISS cd is Revenge. But, I do like that SONIC BOOM is the closest to old school KISS we are to get since it features all KISS members singing lead vocals and has songs where Gene and Paul exchange lead vocals on some tracks like on the Alice Cooper--Hey Stoopid-Era Sounding song STAND (Which is a little corny--like WE ARE ONE was on Psycho Circus). It would still be good if KISS could just create another heavier CD like in the vein of Creatures/Revenge/Carnival of Souls.....

I think if KISS keeps it going, we just may see an ALIVE 50 tour in 15 years!!! LOL!

It always cracks me up when a band puts out a new album and all the cry babies whine that it doesn't sound like something they did 100 years ago. Why do they bother to even buy new music when all they want is what's in their old cd collection? I have seen some very brilliant albums get 1 star reviews from people who are obviously tone deaf or just couldn't comprehend the mastery of the music. Now as far as Sonic Boom is concerened, it's not a musical masterpiece but it is a great Kiss album. My wife and I invited friends over, made Sonic Boom colored cup cakes, and ate sloppy Joes with the meat dyed red and called it a sloppy Simmons.. and it of course had a party favor Gene head on top of it..LOL

Now five of us all sat and listened to the new Kiss Cd, and we all agreed it had a fairly good classic feel and the tunes were catchy. My wife liked it and she's not even a big Kiss fan.. Sonic Boom is probably the most authentic album Kiss has done in a long time. It certainly did harken me back to Rock and Roll Over and a bit of Love Gun. But if someone is going to sit there and blubber because it's too melodic and call it bubble gum.. then save your [...] and go buy some hard hitting, deep modern rock bands with a bunch of 18 year old kids droning through the whole disk. Kiss has always been about toe tapping, stick in your head, melodic rock and roll.. It's not about blending in and trying to sound like Nickle Back and the alternative boy bands. If you don't like 70's and 80's type rock, then kiss is not your type of music.. and maybe you should stick to the Back Street Boys and Hannah Montanah. And if your a jaded Kiss fan who can't get passed the new line up, then leave it alone. I love the original Line up, but the four of them just couldn't work together.. it happens. But we can't down a great album like Sonic Boom just because of Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer.. These two new members made a fantastic album with Stanley and Simmons. So my advice is, if you have liked Kiss through all their phases and would enjoy a classic 70's cd with a splash of the 80's.. then you'll get a very pleasurable listen out of Sonic Boom. If your stuck in an air bubble from the past or a kid who claims to love classic rock and thinks every new effort sucks.. then maybe you should pass this one by.

The new music is good and this entire package was well worth my money. The new music imo is two thumbs up. It rocks and sounds 10x better than 99% of what is out in the hard rock music world today. Nice job guys!!!!

This cd has a 70's Vibe. Lots of good tracks that rock. Tommy Thayer does a great job on lead vocals on one track. Every song is good. Band sounds like they are having fun. With the bonus cd's Kiss classics remastered and live in Buenos Aires, you get a lot for the price. This cd rocks, sounds like old school 70's Kiss and is a great cd. Kiss is back and are ready to conquer the world again.

My KISS fan life goes back to 1976, and my top five KISS albums would be Alive!, Destroyer, Creatures, Revenge, and Unplugged. I'd happily put this CD into the top 6. Of COURSE it's contrived -- they're trying to regain their vigor and freshness from 30 years ago; it takes some contrivance to pull that off. But on this CD they do pretty well. I agree that the sexual innuendoes are a little tired at this point (also the non-innuendoes: Gene's "Yes I Know" is my favorite track on this CD until he leers the line "Time to take off yer CLOTHES!"), but why should we start worrying about THIS all of a sudden? Did we ever look to Stanley and Simmons for emotional guidance before?

As others have said, for the money you get great value. Simmons and Stanley are very clever, of course; with 3 discs per unit they will rack up 3 times the sales figures per sale as they go for the Gold and Platinum awards.

But if you love KISS your purchase of this set is almost inevitable. For those disappointed that everybody isn't still living in 1977, well, I have no answer for you except "it's time to move on and enjoy yourself."

Fun CD. Enjoy.

I got a sneak listen last week and heard the entire CD several times now. This is what happens when Paul Stanley produces a KISS album. You get great rock 'n' roll. Thayer plays great and even on a couple of tracks I almost mistake him for a certain ex-KISS lead guitarist! Some tunes may continue to grow on me, but a BIG improvement on Psycho Circus, and definitely the best overall KISS album since Creatures.

Below is my track by track review:

1. MODERN DAY DELILAH (B)
Most everybody has heard this already from their website. Not bad when I heard it, but after hearing the whole thing, certainly one of my least favorite songs on the album.

2. RUSSIAN ROULETTE (B+)
Larger Than Life sped up a few notches. You'll definitely hear similarities in the riffs. Great bass work, and Tommy certainly pumped out some Ace flavor on that solo. Once I heard that, I started salivating. OK, this album's taking off!

3. NEVER ENOUGH (B-)
Has Bret Michaels heard this yet? A re-molded version of Nothing But A Good Time. Not bad. Still a fun tune, but I can't shake the similarities when I hear it.

4. YES I KNOW (NOBODY'S PERFECT) (A+)
OK, here we go! Sonic Boom goes warp speed with this one. I harkin back to Love Gun when I hear this. This could have been a lost tune from that period, it was that good. I don't know if this was an old demo that re-surfaced, but if this is new, my question to Paul and Gene is "Why have you not written more stuff like this the past 17 years?!"

5. STAND (B-)
Ehh...After spoiling me with Yes I Know, this one kind of falters a bit. Good verses and lead ups but an average chorus. If you like God Gave Rock 'N' Roll, this one should quench your pallet. I can see them using this in a movie soundtrack.

6. HOT AND COLD (A)
OK. I heard they were going do this. Formerly an old '75 Gene demo (Rotten To The Core), they added some to the verses and pumped out a slammin' chorus. Nice solo from Tommy. You can tell they're really having fun with this album.

7. ALL FOR THE GLORY (C+)
A lot of KISS fans are raving on this one. I applaud Eric for stepping up to the plate here, but this is a little flat for me. I like it better the more I hear it. I know they tried to make it a battle cry, and it's not bad. Eric's voice is great, but compared to other tracks on this album, it's at the bottom of my list

8. DANGER US (A)
A harder core Rock And Roll Over tune. My description in a nut shell. I love it all around. Great lyrics. Tommy's solo is solid, and Eric is just blasting those skins!

9. I'M AN ANIMAL (A+)
Here is where KISS fans and I seem to be splitting. Not many I've talked to seem to go for this. I LOVE this tune. It's Spit meets Almost Human meets Unholy. Nasty and hard. I don't know what other fans are hearing, but this is my #2 on this album. Tommy is just going insane on the lead, and Gene's vocal is a blast of thunder.

10. WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES (B)
As with All For The Glory, I give a big kudos for Tommy getting on the mike here and swinging. When I first heard this, my initial thought was "Shock Me Jr." After a few more listens though, I kinda like it. It has its own flavor to a degree, but I wanted a longer solo from Thayer. This is Tommy's round, and his opportunity to shine. I wanted to hear more from him here.

11. SAY YEAH (B-)
As with Stand, nice lead up but a pretty one-dimensional chorus. Paul's vocals are solid, and he carries this one all the way to the finish line.

Overall: B+

I wonder what would have happened if Paul Stanley had been given the producer's chair from the get go back from the 80's to now. Psycho Circus should have been a classic, but too many media moguls tried to pull strings, and we got a disjointed mess that went all over the place. Thankfully here, Paul kept it tight, focused, and fun. Result: a great KISS album that I absolutely compare with the originals. It's not a five star album. Five is perfect. Five is Destroyer and Alive!, and Sonic Boom is definitely not up that that level. It does have the KISS flavor though, and even though the boys are getting rather long in the tooth, if they can keep punching out stuff like this, they can go until their 70s for all I care!