Kiss

Months before Sonic Boom’s release, Gene Simmons was touting it as “Rock and Roll Over meets Love Gun” and the “best new record since Destroyer” … of course, it’s not the first time The Demon has belched forth a bunch of hot air. Surprisingly, he’s not far off. Simmons and fellow Knight In Satan’s Service Paul Stanley play it smart by copying themselves instead of what’s hotter than hell at the moment (hey, I like “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” as much as the next guy …). “Yes I Know (Nobody’s Perfect)” and “Never Enough” could actually pass as (far) better-produced outtakes from Love Gun. But Sonic Boom—the band’s 19th studio album and first since 1998—sounds more like a representation of the band’s entire career than strictly an homage to its ’70s heyday. That said, it’s a loud, cheesy, fun rock record that’s jam-packed with anthemic choruses and riffs and hooks and sexual innuendo and double-entendres and fiery solos (coffee-fetcher/guitarist Tommy Thayer shamelessly apes predecessor Ace Frehley throughout) … and a lot of people will probably hate it. Which begs the question: When did rock ’n’ roll become so serious?