KISS was on the American TV show “Late Show With David Letterman” to promote their new album (Click here to read my post about their album).
I haven’t seen the David Letterman show (or any other American TV show) in many years…but thanks to YouTube, I was able to find out about this and watch it!
Here it is:
As I mentioned in an earlier post (click here to read it), the band KISS has recorded a new album titled “Sonic Boom“.
"Sonic Boom", 2009
It’s due to be released on 2009 October 6.
Well, thanks to my friend Masa, I was able to get the CD early.
I got it today and listened to it already.
It’s very good!
It’s not their best work…but it’s still a great KISS album.
Gene Simmons, bass player of KISS, said that their new “Sonic Boom” album is similar to classic ’70s albums…in particular, their 1976 album “Rock And Roll Over“…
"Rock And Roll Over", 1976
…and their 1977 album “Love Gun“.
"Love Gun", 1977
Personally, I don’t think it’s like either of those or any of their other albums from the 1970s.
I think it sounds more similar to their under-rated 1989 album “Hot In The Shade“…
"Hot In The Shade", 1989
I think “Hot In The Shade” is a very good album, and “Sonic Boom” reminds me a bit of it.
Those two albums have another similarity…”Hot In The Shade” is the only album to feature former drummer, the late Eric Carr, singing a new song (he sang vocals on the song “Beth” on the Smashes, Thrashes & Hits album…a song which the original KISS drummer, Peter Criss wrote and sang on).
On “Hot In The Shade“, Eric Carr sang lead vocals for the song “Little Caesar“.
And “Sonic Boom” is the first KISS album to feature current drummer Eric Singer and current lead guitarist Tommy Thayer each singing lead vocals on a new KISS song.
Eric Singer sings on “All For The Glory” and Tommy Thayer sings on the song “When Lightning Strikes“.
The track listing for “Sonic Boom“:
I’d say “Modern Day Delilah” and “All For The Glory” are the best songs on the album. But the whole album’s good!
Also, KISS have new costumes for the Sonic Boom Tour:
KISS 2009
I have been a fan of the band KISS since I was about eight years old in the late 1970s (at the height of KISS‘s popularity in America).
I have a number of KISS-related posts on this site. For example, click here to see one that gets many visitors (I wrote it in 2008 August, and it still gets alot of hits.)
KISS has recently announced that their first studio album since their 1998 “Psycho Circus” album will be released this Autumn (2009).
KISS is getting old. Founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were in their late-forties when they released their last album eleven years ago, already a bit old for a rock ‘n roll band…but now they’re both almost 60!
Although KISS is notorious for over-commercializing their brand by putting the KISS logo on anything and everything (they sell KISS notebooks, KISS golf equipment, KISS dolls, KISS comics, KISS condoms, even a KISS funeral casket and much, much more!), and KISS bassist Gene Simmons is infamous for behaving like a “dirty old man” (when he was young and single, it was acceptable for him to flirt with young women. But now that he’s old and has a family…he just embarrasses himself).
But, regardless, I’m still a KISS fan. And I’ll be buying the new KISS album when it’s released in Japan (there are about 40 albums in the KISS catalog so far, and I have them all (I have some of them on LP record, cassette tape and CD!)).
I will also see them in concert again if they include dates in Japan on the tour to promote this new album.
KISS has also announced the titles of three songs that will be included on their new album (the album has yet to be titled).
The song titles are:
“Russian Roulette“, “Modern Day Delilah“, and “Stand“.
It was also announced by KISS that on the new album, lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer will sing lead vocals on a song each.
This is interesting to a KISS fan because the current line-up of KISS is: bassist Gene Simmons, rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley, lead guitaris Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer…of which, only Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley have ever sung lead vocals.
Current KISS line-up
Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are founding KISS members…but the lead guitarist and drummer position in the band has changed members a number of times (there have five different lead guitarists and three different drummers in KISS). All of the original KISS members have sung lead vocals on various songs…but of the replacement members, only Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr have been allowed to sing lead (one song and two, respectively). Vinnie Vincent and Mark St. John never sang on a KISS album.
Anyways, I’m looking forward to hearing the new KISS album (and seeing the artwork)!
Have you ever owned a KISS album? Which one? Have you ever seen one of their amazing concerts? Which tour?
What’s your favorite KISS song?
Tokyo Five 
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