MUSIC REVIEW: Kiss - Sonic Boom

KISS - Sonic Boom
by Cody Clarke

KISS has had some seriously bad album covers. In a career spanning 35 years and counting, they've had only four that are attractive: Kiss, Destroyer, Love Gun, and Alive. Each of those covers are gorgeous, and not just in comparison to the ugly ones. They are iconic, and capture the spirit of the band perfectly.

Excluding their work between '74 and '77, every bad album cover KISS has put out has had equally bad music accompanying it. Though there are a few diamond in the rough songs that serve as exceptions to the rule (such as I Was Made For Lovin' You and Crazy Crazy Nights) for the most part the rule is solid, and only proven more so with KISS' latest release, Sonic Boom.

If the songs on this album represent KISS' definition of a sonic boom, I have reason to believe that they are deaf and pulling a Hollywood Ending-esque bluff. You couldn't create blander rock if you programmed a robot to do it for you. The only positive thing I can say is that Simmons' and Stanley's voices are still strong, no doubt due to the lack of booze and drugs throughout their career.

Stick to singing the classics that everybody loves. Who knows how much longer your voices will still be worth a damn? You wouldn't sing garbage from The Elder on your new tour, so don't waste your gift with this either.

Top 20 Favorite Films since 1992 (Ongoing)

Inspired by the video in which Tarantino lists his 20 favorite films since 1992, I'm attempting to do the same. He chose the year based on it being when Reservoir Dogs came out, but I've realized the year serves as a good cut-off point for me as well, since the majority of my favorite films actually predate the year. With this list, I'll be able to give love to a lot of films that wouldn't have made even a 1972 cut-off list (let alone an all-time one) despite being phenomenal in their own right.

This might take a few weeks to be done. I won't make another entry about it until it is. Though Tarantino didn't list his in order of preference, I'm doing so with mine. It makes it a lot easier for me to determine whether something belongs on it or not. Here's where I'm at right now:

Top 20 Favorite Films since 1992

01. Groundhog Day (1993)
02. Buffalo '66 (1998)
03. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring (2003)
04. Rushmore (1998)
05. Unbreakable (2000)
06. Dogville (2003)
07. Magnolia (1999)
08. The Big Lebowski (1998)
09. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
10. Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2 (2003, 2004)
11. The Wrestler (2008)
12. Superbad (2007)
13. Office Space (1999)
14. The Hurt Locker (2008)
15. Fall (1997)
16. 3-Iron (2004)
17. Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
18. Team America (2004)
19. Tony Takitani (2004)
20. The Dreamers (2003)

Honorable Mentions:
These were on the list, but then got bumped off by another film.
- Sweet & Lowdown (1999)