Post by Erik Rupp on Sept 16, 2009 23:40:24 GMT -5
KISS - Sonic Boom (2009)
Eleven years.
That's how long it's been since KISS' last studio album, Psycho Circus. That album left some bad feelings among many KISS fans for different reasons, not the least of which was that it it just wasn't as good as expected. It certainly wasn't the true, "Return of the original line-up," album that it was advertised to be.
After KISS completed their new album, Sonic Boom, they made it clear that this album would be different. No ghost musicians, no outside writers, no nonsense. This was their best album in 30 years, or so said bassist/lead vocalist Gene Simmons.
So is it their best album in 30 years?
Yes. And no. It all depends on your perspective. For some fans this will be seen as their best album in 32 years, maybe even 33 (since either Rock and Roll Over or Love Gun). For others this will be better than Psycho Circus, but not quite up to the level of Revenge (1992) and/or Carnival of Souls (1997). Yet others will say that it's their best since Creatures of the Night in 1982.
But the near universal reaction by KISS fans is likely to be very positive regardless of which previous KISS albums it tops, because Sonic Boom is a very, very good Rock album, and a great KISS album.
Guitarist/lead vocalist Paul Stanley insisted on producing the album himself, not wanting the project to be diluted by too many chefs in the kitchen. That singular focus succeeded in giving Sonic Boom a cohesive feel and sound. The songs all work together, and sound like they belong on the same album (which wasn't necessarily true of Psycho Circus).
Opening up with, "Modern Day Delilah," Paul Stanley makes his intentions clear - this album is going to ROCK! And Rock BIG! A huge main riff carries the song along with some strong vocal melodies from Paul. The riff itself closely follows the riffs of, "God of Thunder," and, "Almost Human," while also echoing bits of the styles of the riffs from, "Firehouse," and, "I Want You." If the riff is technically close to those in many ways, the style in which it is played is closer to the material from their Revenge album. As for the chorus, it features an infectiously catchy vocal hook that isn't all that far removed from the hook on, "Heaven's On Fire," making this a KISS song for all fans of the band. Also of note in the song is a really good guitar solo from Tommy Thayer, and some top notch drumming from Eric Singer (with a lot of subtle accent notes on both the bass drum and snare). With a great opening track Paul lays down the gauntlet. How will Gene's material hold up in comparison?
Partially answering that question, Gene Simmons' first song on the album is, "Russian Roulette," and it's a solid track with a nasty attitude. It's better than most of Gene's songs from the 80's, even it if isn't quite up to the standard of, "Delilah." "Russian Roulette," is one of the heavier songs on the album, and serves further notice that KISS isn't playing around this time. While this song isn't quite filler, it isn't the killer that most of the other songs on the album are. Tempo changes mark this track along with a fairly catchy chorus and a fiery vocal from Gene.
Paul's next track is, "Never Enough," and it probably would have been a single candidate had it not been for a similar guitar riff/vocal melody combination to Poison's, "Nothin But A Good Time." It's not a full blown rip-off, but the verse is pretty darned close. (It should be noted that Poison's song was itself considered to be something of a, "KISS rip-off," when it first came out as the main riff borrowed heavily from the intro to, "Deuce"). Regardless, the chorus to, "Never Enough," is it's own entity, and is darned catchy. This is an uptempo song that echoes some of KISS classic songs, while also mirroring some songs circa 1987's Crazy Nights. A good track, although the similarity to the Poison song is more than a bit distracting.
Then we get in the DeLorean with the Flux Capacitor and head back to 1976 for, "Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)," a song that sounds like it could have been written for Dressed To Kill or Rock and Roll Over. The verse sounds eerily like the early 70's Glam Rock of Slade or even some T-Rex, while the chorus sounds like an Asylum era take on the Rock and Roll Over style. It's another solid, if unspectacular song. Not filler, but an album cut. Gene does let loose with one line (repeated later in the song) that's a little disturbing coming from a 60 year old, but other than that this is a good old Rock and Roll song in the Klassic KISS tradition.
Then things get really interesting. "Stand," features a shared lead vocal between Gene and Paul, and while the verse is fairly straightforward Hard Rock stuff (good, but straightforward, and not all that far removed from "C'Mon and Love Me," from Dressed To Kill), and the bridge is straightforward 80's hard rock stuff, the chorus is grandiose, with an incredibly memorable vocal hook. But as big (and darned near hokey, but not quite) as the chorus is, the last half of the song takes an interesting turn not unlike the breaks in the middle of both, "God Gave Rock and Roll To You II," and, "I Just Wanna," from Revenge, then becoming almost Queen like before turning back into something similar to the chorus of, "God Gave." For an album thrown together as quickly as Sonic Boom was this is an impressively well thought out and structured song. And it's catchy as hell.
"Hot and Cold," sounds like something that could have been written for Rock and Roll Over, and the truth is that the verse actually was written for that album, but the chorus is brand spanking new and features Eric Singer pounding away on the cowbell. In the end this song is a bit of a combination of "Calling Dr. Love," and, "Ladies Room," from that 1976 album, with a few new tricks thrown in for good measure. Like most of the other songs on this album this features a memorable chorus hook sung over some, "Dr. Love," type riffing. It's another new classic Gene Simmons song. Tommy's solo here is again very Ace Frehley-esque, except that his note selection is a little different than what Ace played in the band's heyday.
The one track on the album that actually fits in with what's going on now (circa 2009) in Hard Rock is, "All For The Glory," which features a lead vocal from drummer Eric Singer. It's modern in a way not unlike Nickelback or Hinder or even some of Bon Jovi's recent work - but without being derivative. It's still sounds like KISS and features a multi-layered chorus vocal part in which Singer, Simmons, and Stanley all take part. Thayer's solo is another highlight in this one, and features what may be his best lead tone on the album. The song itself is good, and Singer's vocal is also quite strong.
Perhaps the riffiest song on the album (did I just make up a new word?) is, "Danger Us," and it is one of the best songs on the album. Marrying the KISS style with some riffs that sound like AC/DC playing Led Zeppelin this is an incredibly upbeat song that is impossible to not tap your foot to. A driving beat, fantastic riffs, great vocal melodies, and a killer chorus make this one of the album's standout tracks and a song that would sound great live. The background vocals also sound like AC/DC circa Back in Black or Flick of the Switch. The only possible negative in the song is a rough, but somewhat effective vocal from Paul. It seems that, "Attitude," was more important than a cleaner vocal performance. Mention should also be made of Tommy's tasty lead work throughout the song as it's a very nice touch. Great stuff.
Then KISS' Demon returns with what could be another live standout in, "Im An Animal." This one is a little slower, but heavy. The verse riff is similar to Led Zeppelin's, "Dazed and Confused," but put through a KISS filter of songs like, "War Machine," "God of Thunder," and, "Unholy." Vocally, this is another great performance from Simmons who seems to have found the fountain of youth. His vocals haven't sounded as good as on Sonic Boom since Hot in the Shade 20 years ago, and maybe since Crazy Nights back in '87. Another nice solo from Tommy can be heard on this one as well. "I'm an animal - and I'm free." Yes he is.
And then lightning strikes. Tommy Thayer gets to make his vocal debut on, "When Lightning Strikes," and he makes the most of it. This may be the second best vocal performance on the album, right behind Paul's fantastic work on, "Modern Day Delilah." This is a straight ahead, driving, melodic Hard Rock song with another strong chorus and yet another nice solo from Tommy.
Closing out the album is Paul Stanley's, "Say Yeah," and it's hard not to say, "YEAH," after hearing this one. Imagine the Smithereens trying to write an 80's KISS song. That's kind of what you get with, "Say Yeah." It ends up sounding like KISS, and very much like their 80's songs, but with a different twist. The verse is very Smithereen-y, before giving way to a bridge and chorus that are almost like some of the songs on Paul's Live To Win solo album, only harder edged and rawer than anything on that album. This is an amazing song, and by the end it's really hard to keep yourself from singing along - it's that catchy, and that good.
The most noticeable difference between this album and their last album is just how much this sounds like a BAND, and not a collection of songs put together by the two band leaders. Drummer Eric Singer and guitar player Tommy Thayer make great contributions on Sonic Boom, and it's evident that Gene Simmons is playing all the bass parts on the album, as his almost Paul McCartney-esque bass playing style from the 70's makes a welcome return. Paul Stanley's voice is a little worse for the last 36 years of wear, but his vocals still hold up nicely, especially on the lead single, "Modern Day Delilah." In fact, when you listen to Sonic Boom you'd think this was a band of 29 and 30 year olds, not a band with an average age of 54! KISS sounds vital and vibrant on Sonic Boom as the band plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Another noteworthy and interesting thing about the new album is that the 2nd half is stronger than the first half. While the album is very consistent - there is, indeed, no filler here - the first half just isn't quite as good as the second half, which may be a first for a KISS album. It's hard to think of a KISS album where the second side/half is stronger than the first - until now.
The one possible downside to Sonic Boom is that aside from, "Modern Day Delilah," "Danger Us," "I'm An Animal," and maybe, "Hot and Cold," and "When Lightning Strikes," the BIG, memorable riffs are few and far between. There are plenty of really good songs, but the marriage of big riffs with big vocal melodies and hooks isn't present quite as much on some of the songs here as on many of KISS' other albums. It doesn't necessarily hurt the album much, but it shows that there was still room for improvement.
Sonically, this album is exactly what KISS should be up to for an album like this. Raw, but not overly so. It's not all that far removed from the production on Revenge, but it's less polished and processed, and fits in with their classic 70's albums better than anything they had done since Love Gun. The guitar tone is fantastic throughout, Gene's bass tone is beefy, but has a growl to it, and the drums are snappy and natural sounding. Paul and co-producer/engineer Greg Collins have done a great job of giving these songs life.
As noted, Sonic Boom is a very, very good Rock album, and a great KISS album. That's just what the Doctor (Love) ordered.
4.5/5
Eleven years.
That's how long it's been since KISS' last studio album, Psycho Circus. That album left some bad feelings among many KISS fans for different reasons, not the least of which was that it it just wasn't as good as expected. It certainly wasn't the true, "Return of the original line-up," album that it was advertised to be.
After KISS completed their new album, Sonic Boom, they made it clear that this album would be different. No ghost musicians, no outside writers, no nonsense. This was their best album in 30 years, or so said bassist/lead vocalist Gene Simmons.
So is it their best album in 30 years?
Yes. And no. It all depends on your perspective. For some fans this will be seen as their best album in 32 years, maybe even 33 (since either Rock and Roll Over or Love Gun). For others this will be better than Psycho Circus, but not quite up to the level of Revenge (1992) and/or Carnival of Souls (1997). Yet others will say that it's their best since Creatures of the Night in 1982.
But the near universal reaction by KISS fans is likely to be very positive regardless of which previous KISS albums it tops, because Sonic Boom is a very, very good Rock album, and a great KISS album.
Guitarist/lead vocalist Paul Stanley insisted on producing the album himself, not wanting the project to be diluted by too many chefs in the kitchen. That singular focus succeeded in giving Sonic Boom a cohesive feel and sound. The songs all work together, and sound like they belong on the same album (which wasn't necessarily true of Psycho Circus).
Opening up with, "Modern Day Delilah," Paul Stanley makes his intentions clear - this album is going to ROCK! And Rock BIG! A huge main riff carries the song along with some strong vocal melodies from Paul. The riff itself closely follows the riffs of, "God of Thunder," and, "Almost Human," while also echoing bits of the styles of the riffs from, "Firehouse," and, "I Want You." If the riff is technically close to those in many ways, the style in which it is played is closer to the material from their Revenge album. As for the chorus, it features an infectiously catchy vocal hook that isn't all that far removed from the hook on, "Heaven's On Fire," making this a KISS song for all fans of the band. Also of note in the song is a really good guitar solo from Tommy Thayer, and some top notch drumming from Eric Singer (with a lot of subtle accent notes on both the bass drum and snare). With a great opening track Paul lays down the gauntlet. How will Gene's material hold up in comparison?
Partially answering that question, Gene Simmons' first song on the album is, "Russian Roulette," and it's a solid track with a nasty attitude. It's better than most of Gene's songs from the 80's, even it if isn't quite up to the standard of, "Delilah." "Russian Roulette," is one of the heavier songs on the album, and serves further notice that KISS isn't playing around this time. While this song isn't quite filler, it isn't the killer that most of the other songs on the album are. Tempo changes mark this track along with a fairly catchy chorus and a fiery vocal from Gene.
Paul's next track is, "Never Enough," and it probably would have been a single candidate had it not been for a similar guitar riff/vocal melody combination to Poison's, "Nothin But A Good Time." It's not a full blown rip-off, but the verse is pretty darned close. (It should be noted that Poison's song was itself considered to be something of a, "KISS rip-off," when it first came out as the main riff borrowed heavily from the intro to, "Deuce"). Regardless, the chorus to, "Never Enough," is it's own entity, and is darned catchy. This is an uptempo song that echoes some of KISS classic songs, while also mirroring some songs circa 1987's Crazy Nights. A good track, although the similarity to the Poison song is more than a bit distracting.
Then we get in the DeLorean with the Flux Capacitor and head back to 1976 for, "Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)," a song that sounds like it could have been written for Dressed To Kill or Rock and Roll Over. The verse sounds eerily like the early 70's Glam Rock of Slade or even some T-Rex, while the chorus sounds like an Asylum era take on the Rock and Roll Over style. It's another solid, if unspectacular song. Not filler, but an album cut. Gene does let loose with one line (repeated later in the song) that's a little disturbing coming from a 60 year old, but other than that this is a good old Rock and Roll song in the Klassic KISS tradition.
Then things get really interesting. "Stand," features a shared lead vocal between Gene and Paul, and while the verse is fairly straightforward Hard Rock stuff (good, but straightforward, and not all that far removed from "C'Mon and Love Me," from Dressed To Kill), and the bridge is straightforward 80's hard rock stuff, the chorus is grandiose, with an incredibly memorable vocal hook. But as big (and darned near hokey, but not quite) as the chorus is, the last half of the song takes an interesting turn not unlike the breaks in the middle of both, "God Gave Rock and Roll To You II," and, "I Just Wanna," from Revenge, then becoming almost Queen like before turning back into something similar to the chorus of, "God Gave." For an album thrown together as quickly as Sonic Boom was this is an impressively well thought out and structured song. And it's catchy as hell.
"Hot and Cold," sounds like something that could have been written for Rock and Roll Over, and the truth is that the verse actually was written for that album, but the chorus is brand spanking new and features Eric Singer pounding away on the cowbell. In the end this song is a bit of a combination of "Calling Dr. Love," and, "Ladies Room," from that 1976 album, with a few new tricks thrown in for good measure. Like most of the other songs on this album this features a memorable chorus hook sung over some, "Dr. Love," type riffing. It's another new classic Gene Simmons song. Tommy's solo here is again very Ace Frehley-esque, except that his note selection is a little different than what Ace played in the band's heyday.
The one track on the album that actually fits in with what's going on now (circa 2009) in Hard Rock is, "All For The Glory," which features a lead vocal from drummer Eric Singer. It's modern in a way not unlike Nickelback or Hinder or even some of Bon Jovi's recent work - but without being derivative. It's still sounds like KISS and features a multi-layered chorus vocal part in which Singer, Simmons, and Stanley all take part. Thayer's solo is another highlight in this one, and features what may be his best lead tone on the album. The song itself is good, and Singer's vocal is also quite strong.
Perhaps the riffiest song on the album (did I just make up a new word?) is, "Danger Us," and it is one of the best songs on the album. Marrying the KISS style with some riffs that sound like AC/DC playing Led Zeppelin this is an incredibly upbeat song that is impossible to not tap your foot to. A driving beat, fantastic riffs, great vocal melodies, and a killer chorus make this one of the album's standout tracks and a song that would sound great live. The background vocals also sound like AC/DC circa Back in Black or Flick of the Switch. The only possible negative in the song is a rough, but somewhat effective vocal from Paul. It seems that, "Attitude," was more important than a cleaner vocal performance. Mention should also be made of Tommy's tasty lead work throughout the song as it's a very nice touch. Great stuff.
Then KISS' Demon returns with what could be another live standout in, "Im An Animal." This one is a little slower, but heavy. The verse riff is similar to Led Zeppelin's, "Dazed and Confused," but put through a KISS filter of songs like, "War Machine," "God of Thunder," and, "Unholy." Vocally, this is another great performance from Simmons who seems to have found the fountain of youth. His vocals haven't sounded as good as on Sonic Boom since Hot in the Shade 20 years ago, and maybe since Crazy Nights back in '87. Another nice solo from Tommy can be heard on this one as well. "I'm an animal - and I'm free." Yes he is.
And then lightning strikes. Tommy Thayer gets to make his vocal debut on, "When Lightning Strikes," and he makes the most of it. This may be the second best vocal performance on the album, right behind Paul's fantastic work on, "Modern Day Delilah." This is a straight ahead, driving, melodic Hard Rock song with another strong chorus and yet another nice solo from Tommy.
Closing out the album is Paul Stanley's, "Say Yeah," and it's hard not to say, "YEAH," after hearing this one. Imagine the Smithereens trying to write an 80's KISS song. That's kind of what you get with, "Say Yeah." It ends up sounding like KISS, and very much like their 80's songs, but with a different twist. The verse is very Smithereen-y, before giving way to a bridge and chorus that are almost like some of the songs on Paul's Live To Win solo album, only harder edged and rawer than anything on that album. This is an amazing song, and by the end it's really hard to keep yourself from singing along - it's that catchy, and that good.
The most noticeable difference between this album and their last album is just how much this sounds like a BAND, and not a collection of songs put together by the two band leaders. Drummer Eric Singer and guitar player Tommy Thayer make great contributions on Sonic Boom, and it's evident that Gene Simmons is playing all the bass parts on the album, as his almost Paul McCartney-esque bass playing style from the 70's makes a welcome return. Paul Stanley's voice is a little worse for the last 36 years of wear, but his vocals still hold up nicely, especially on the lead single, "Modern Day Delilah." In fact, when you listen to Sonic Boom you'd think this was a band of 29 and 30 year olds, not a band with an average age of 54! KISS sounds vital and vibrant on Sonic Boom as the band plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Another noteworthy and interesting thing about the new album is that the 2nd half is stronger than the first half. While the album is very consistent - there is, indeed, no filler here - the first half just isn't quite as good as the second half, which may be a first for a KISS album. It's hard to think of a KISS album where the second side/half is stronger than the first - until now.
The one possible downside to Sonic Boom is that aside from, "Modern Day Delilah," "Danger Us," "I'm An Animal," and maybe, "Hot and Cold," and "When Lightning Strikes," the BIG, memorable riffs are few and far between. There are plenty of really good songs, but the marriage of big riffs with big vocal melodies and hooks isn't present quite as much on some of the songs here as on many of KISS' other albums. It doesn't necessarily hurt the album much, but it shows that there was still room for improvement.
Sonically, this album is exactly what KISS should be up to for an album like this. Raw, but not overly so. It's not all that far removed from the production on Revenge, but it's less polished and processed, and fits in with their classic 70's albums better than anything they had done since Love Gun. The guitar tone is fantastic throughout, Gene's bass tone is beefy, but has a growl to it, and the drums are snappy and natural sounding. Paul and co-producer/engineer Greg Collins have done a great job of giving these songs life.
As noted, Sonic Boom is a very, very good Rock album, and a great KISS album. That's just what the Doctor (Love) ordered.
4.5/5
