The first new material in over a decade, following the highly anticipated, but universally blasé "Psycho Circus", alternates between songs penned by mainstays Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from the get-go, neither seemingly wanting the other to have more tracks than the other. There’s actually some really good Kiss music within the inclusions, even if only half the original band still exists.

Approaching 60 years of age, there’s something a little unsettling about Simmons none-too-coy (never been his strong suit anyway!) paean to receiving oral sex 'Russian Roulette'. I grew up with Kiss in the 70s, yet there’s few post-"Rock N Roll Over" platters I can spin, including the resurgence in the late 80s. However, as was so astutely pointed out by my BW&BK colleague Mitch LaFon, "Sonic Boom" marks the first time since the "glory days" that Stanley and Simmons haven’t blatantly chased the flavor of the day. Perhaps the lack of a cohesive rock scene these days is a good thing, as they reverted to what they do best, simple (at times juvenile) catchy guitar driven anthems. Even ‘Stand’, with its temporary descent into a Beach Boys sing-along, could be a long-lost outtake.

The target market has to be nostalgia hounds and it works on those grounds. Maybe it’s these old ears but the guitar and cowbell of clichéd ‘Hot And Cold’ are dripping with 30-year-old influences. Sustained six-string breaks can be heard on ‘Danger Us’ and ‘I’m An Animal’, perhaps the saving grace of both. Newboys Tommy Thayer (guitar, who did some writing in Black N Blue) and well-traveled drummer Eric Singer both get into the credits (shared with Simmons/Stanley). Thayer is listed as partial creator of ‘Never Enough’ and ‘When Lightning Strikes’, where he sings lead (!), while Singer lives up to his surname on the Stanley penned ‘All For The Glory’, although the drummer had an official hand in the closing ‘Say Yeah!’ Surprisingly ‘All For The Glory’ possesses a modern edge, features tons of guitar and sounds nothing like a (vintage) Kiss tune. At times, Thayer’s voice (backed by copious cowbell) recalls Alice Cooper. Strangely enough, he once sat on the kit for the man behind the mask.

So, the old dogs have rediscovered old tricks (with the new blood throwing a new bone or two into the mix). Can’t wait to see the show!