Eddie Trunk Reviews KISS' "Sonic Boom"www.eddietrunk.com
The Sonic Boom review.
Well it seems unavoidable. You guys are demanding some sort of review of Sonic Boom from Kiss. I have tried to check out of all the Kiss insanity among the fans but like in Godfather III "they keep pulling me back in". Before I get to my thoughts on the album let me once again get a few things straight:
The ONLY issue I have ever had with Kiss, which I have stated many times, is I, as a fan, I hate that they dress Tommy and Eric as Ace and Peter. That is it! NEVER said they should be out of the band, NEVER said they weren't great players, NEVER said I only want the original band! That is fact. Anyone who knows me or has followed me knows I have always supported ALL lineups of Kiss! I fully understand why Ace and Peter are not in, I will never understand why we need to see other musicians impersonate them instead of pave their own path and identity in the band. Obviously there are hyper sensitive members of the band that just can't deal with me having one issue, so have decided to ignore me and my audience all together, forgetting the zillions of positives I have said and done over the year, including PLAYING THEIR MUSIC besides R&R All Night! I can't control what people think, the lies made up about what I say, or people claiming to be me doing fake internet postings. Everyone knows where to get me and I am happy to address any statements or feelings I have about Kiss face to face with any member. I can't deal with the what people think they hear and if I'm a friend one day or an enemy the next. About a year ago Paul recorded a really nice ID for me at Q104 that I did not ask for, and when I saw him a few days later lashed out at me for no reason in front of many Kiss fans at an art gallery. We were all left scratching our heads that day! This is just one example of many strange things that have happened to me over the last few years. I give up trying to figure it out. Countelss interviews that were set up were cancelled when it was revealed it was with me and my shows. Not a big deal to me, but to you guys, the true Kiss fans that listen to me because I truly play the band, it's lame. As expected, in NYC, the number one market in the world, and the bands home town, I was the ONLY one to play Modern Day Delilah. I was also pretty much the only one not to get any interview from the band or even a copy of their CD to play for you guys. Still, with all the BS that has gone on I have always played the music, and defended the band in so many discussions. But almost 30 years of support, screaming about the Rock Hall, etc, is all thrown out the window for reasons I have no knowledge of. Pretty nuts! I will always be a Kiss fan and love the music, but any fan can have opinions and is entitled to them. Pretty amazing to watch as Kiss does interview after interview with so many that NEVER play their music or make fun of it, but I'm the outcast? I also want to address the perception that my friendship with Ace has some bearing on Kiss and I have some agenda. That might be the furthest off base thing of all! Again, I played the hell out of all lineups of Kiss! That's so wacky I can't even begin to tell you. But again, I can't change what people think. I'm hear to discuss anytime with anyone. I hope this sets the record straight on some things. I am only scratching the surface here to be honest, but for now, as demanded by you, lets forget all of the above and talk about the MUSIC again! I still never purchased or was sent a copy of Sonic Boom for review or airplay. A friend was nice enough to give me his copy. What I am about to write about the album is completely my opinion and it throws out any issues or bias from past experience. It is purely my thoughts as a new Kiss album as a fan. That is the Gods honest truth and I can't help you if you don't want to believe it, but here goes. You wanted the review, you got the review:
Modern Day Delilah- The best song on the CD. Nothing sounds better in Kiss then Paul's voice with crashing power chords
Russian Roulette- Good Gene song. I like the chorus. Gene is a very good singer when he wants to be.
Never Enough- This song is Poison's "Nothing But A Good Time". which of course itself was a rip off of Kiss! The verse melody and guitar riff is exactly Poison. So it's Kiss taking from Poison who took from Kiss. Rock incest! It's so Poison it's hard to listen to and not think of that song!
Yes I know- Typical Gene being Gene song. Kind of goofy, not my favorite.
Stand- Great to hear Paul and Gene trade off on lead vocals. A Kiss signature that has been missing for to long. Classic sounding Kiss anthem.
Hot & Cold- Average song, doesn't do much for me. To formula. Nice to have some cowbell though!
All For The Glory- OK song. Nice to hear Eric sing. His voice is decent and, believe it or not, similar to Peter Criss. Good straight up rocker.
Danger Us- Worst song on the album. Danger Me, Danger You, Danger Us?!?! I mean I know Kiss were never kings of lyrics but this is really a weak song.
I'm An Animal- Heaviest song. Kind of a God Of Thunder groove and riff. Love Gene and Paul singing together on the chorus. One of the better moments from Gene for sure. Great solo from Tommy here also.
When Lightning Strikes- Tommy Thayer lead vocal. He's a pretty decent singer. It's nice that to show the band vibe Eric and Tommy got a song to sing. Has a very early Kiss feel. OK song.
Say Yeah- Total Kiss anthem which will I'm sure make it into the live show and maybe into even sports stadiums. Good way to end the album and very much in the spirit of Uh All Night and other 80's sing alongs.
Overall: Its an OK album. I get the whole pitch as being "Classic Kiss" because they went for that sound, but what ended up was something more in line with 80's Kiss at times. The production is good and not over the top. The lead guitar playing is solid but total Ace style on every song. That's not a knock, just a fact. But if your going for a "classic Kiss" sound, obviously Ace's style was a huge part of that. Eric Singer is a great drummer, always has been. His biggest score on this album is that he does not overplay the stuff. Kiss has always drifted between pop band, rock band, and metal band. They are at their "classic" best when they are straight up hard rock, and that's what this album is. But the songs are simply just OK, not great. Paul sounds awesome in spots, and in others not so great. It has the spirit of old Kiss in the production, the direction, the trade off vocals, the playing, but it's the songs and especially lyrics and chorus that fall short on many tracks. On a score of 1 to 10 I give it a 5. I actually like Psycho Circus better. To me that album (which we all know was not the original lineup after all) is being unfairly bashed lately. Regardless of who really played on it or why, I think it has some great material. Sonic Boom has a few nice moments and finds Kiss back on the turf they are best at, basic hard rock, but the songs could have been much better. Should they continue to make new music in the future this could be a good blueprint.
ET
