Review: Kiss – Sonic Boom

Sergio reviews Kiss’ Sonic Boom.

Artist Name: Kiss
Album Name: Sonic Boom
Year: 2009
Genre: Rock

Proving that rock ’n roll can never die, Kiss continues to soldier on with their 19th studio offering, Sonic Boom.

Right off the bat, Sonic Boom is a nostalgic album. The brains behind the band, Stanley and Simmons, haven’t changed a thing about their sound – there are no nu-metal or grunge influences, just good ol’ fashioned rock. If anything, they’ve only become more comfortable writing for themselves than for the music charts and critics, who’ve often been ruthless and unapologetic to any experimental releases.

A lot has also been said about the absence of Ace Frehley, but in all honesty, Tommy Thayer is equally adept on lead guitar – and adds his own sprinkle of overdriven magic to the Kiss legacy on tracks such as ‘Say Yeah’. The man is talented and shouldn’t be forced to live in the shadow of another great guitarist.

Love ’em or hate ’em, Kiss is legendary. Behind the face paint, flashy costumes and pyrotechnics is a group who have further cemented their name into the rock ’n roll almanacs with the release of Sonic Boom.

Do yourself a favour and get a copy of the special edition release, which features an additional best of “Kiss Klassics” CD and “Live in Buenos Aires” DVD. This is a must have album!

Best Tracks: ‘Russian Roulette’, ‘Stand’, and ‘Say Yeah’

88/100

- Sergio Pereira
sergio@musicreview.co.za
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