The year is 2009 and rock and roll as we know it has taken a back seat to pop and rap. Rock bands have been subjected to classic rock radio stations. Any time a band releases new music, their new songs don’t get played. Their greatest hits are the only tunes to receive airplay.
For bands like Kiss, making a new record seemed like it wasn’t worth it. They had made a massive impact during their heyday and recently were on their farewell tour that ended in 2001. Yet, a determined Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons recruited Eric Singer and guitarist Tommy Thayer to record what would become 2009’s Sonic Boom. The record debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking the highest spot ever reached by the New York natives.
The record starts with “Modern Day Delilah.” The catchy duel guitar riff from Stanley and Thayer immediately hooks listeners in. Compared to some of the other songs Kiss has recorded, “Modern Day Delilah” and the entire record has a harder edge. Thayer’s solo on this tune is rather simple yet doesn’t steal the spotlight of this being Kiss’ first studio record in 11 years since 1998’s Psycho Circus.
Song two continues with the intensity as hard riffs and a heavy beat introduce “Russian Roulette.” On this track, the guitars and bass trade-off with each other has Simmon’s vocals are layered on top. This song’s chorus is catchy and easy to sing along to. Simmon’s song subjects are the one consistent thing that has remained throughout his career and it’s no different on this tune. His catchphrases and innuendos echo throughout the song. The crunch of the guitar riffs adds a new, hungry feel to the music that brings intensity to the track.
Songs three and four, “Never Enough” and “Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)” are slight fillers but move the record forward. The Stanley lead “Never Enough” is lighter in feel and jumpy. On the other hand, Simmon’s “Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)” keeps the same lightheartedness while continuing the subject of women which is the topic of most of his songs.
“Stand” checks in at song No. 5 and is a fantastic listen. The call to arms song is a rallying cry of friendship and solidarity. The back-and-forth vocals from Simmons and Stanley is classic at this point but to hear the full band harmonize is bone-chilling. If this tune had been released earlier in their career, fans could have rallied behind it. But now, it sounds closer to the band looking back on their past with a smile.
As fans reach the halfway point of the record, they encounter ‘Hot And Cold,’ ‘All For The Glory,’ and ‘Danger Us As a whole, all three songs are okay. “Hot And Cold” can certainly be categorized as a filler and if it was taken off the record then it would not harm the album. The highlight of the bunch is “All For The Glory” which features Singer on lead vocals. Since the band’s inception, they always had at least two songs featuring the other members on lead vocals. Whether it be Peter Criss, Ace Frehley, or Eric Carr, there always was another member singing one other song.
It wouldn’t be a Kiss record without one heavy, “God Of Thunder” style song featuring Simmons on lead vocals. Song nine, “I’m An Animal” is the tune that feeds Simmon’s fans’ need for that type of song. This song is the heaviest on the record and it’s one of the best. Stanley can be heard in the background beefing up Simmon’s voice while they also go back and forth on the chorus with the rest of the band. It’s great that this song was played live a few times, it would have been better if it became a staple in the live sets.
The second to last song, “When Lightning Strikes” showcases Thayer. This is only one of two studio songs that Thayer sings lead on. Unfortunately, the band’s 2012 record, Monster, would feature his last. It’s a fairly good listen. Thayer has a pretty good voice. This song would be much better if it featured earlier in the record. It would break up some of the Simmons and Stanley songs.
Fans who saw the band on their “End of the Road World” tour would recognize “Say Yeah” from the set. “Say Yeah” plays as the caboose on this rock and roll train. ‘“Say Yeah,” was released as a single along with “Modern Day Delilah” and is the strongest on the record. It’s an earworm song that makes it easy for fans to sing along to and remember after the record is over. This is Thayer’s best solo on the entire record. It’s melodic, catchy, and has a lot of feel and rhythm to it. This is such a strong closing song to the record.
Despite tons of the Kiss Army disregarding how good this record is, they should give it another listen. It doesn’t matter if the record doesn’t contain all original members of the band. It’s still a Kiss record nonetheless. The bright spots on this album deserve highlighting. Go back and listen to it one more time, I bet there will be a few songs you enjoy. People might not consider it classic Kiss, but it is certainly a strong, enjoyable record.
Rating:
7/10
Tracklist:
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
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My love for live music started with my first concert ever, Guns N’ Roses back in 2016. Since then, I’ve been able to capture photos of some amazing artists like Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Ace Frehley, and Post Malone. I am based in New York/New Jersey and go to school in Connecticut majoring in Journalism and I am always looking for the next concert to attend.
