KISS: New Album Artwork, Track Listing Revealed; Audio Sample Available

The cover artwork for the much-anticipated new KISS album, "Sonic Boom", can be viewed below. The CD will be released on October 6 in the U.S. and Canada exclusively via Wal-Mart, Walmart.com and Sam's Club retail locations.

"Sonic Boom", produced by guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley in Los Angeles, is the centerpiece of a three-disc set that also features a completely re-recorded greatest hits CD (previously available in Japan) as well as a live DVD shot in Argentina during the band's recent, record-breaking KISS Alive 35 South American tour. The CD set will retail for $12, with pre-orders starting in September on Walmart.com.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons says, "'Sonic Boom' may be the best new record we've done since 'Destroyer'! It is 'Rock And Roll Over' meets 'Love Gun'. The world's biggest retailer had better get ready for the hottest band in the world and hire more cashiers before October 6!"

Stanley adds, "Through all of the albums that are considered our classics, we tried to always find ways to give our fans extras that went beyond just the music. Besides our making the best KISS album in decades, Wal-Mart has made it possible for us to include a bonus CD with 15 of our most famous songs and an additional live DVD, shot during our recent concert in Buenos Aires. So in every sense, 'Sonic Boom' is the ultimate return to classic KISS form. You wanted the best, you got the best!"

Wal-Mart, one of America's largest music retailers, is finalizing its exciting plans now for its in-store and online destinations for KISS fans surrounding the launch of the new album and tour, and will host various KISS products in addition to their music in its stores this fall. More details on Wal-Mart KISS activity, announcements regarding album pre-sales, sweepstakes and KISS appearances will be shared shortly.

"Sonic Boom" track listing:

01. Modern Day Delilah
02. Russian Roulette
03. Never Enough
04. Yes I Know (Nobody's Perfect)
05. Stand
06. Hot And Cold
07. All For The Glory
08. Danger Us
09. I'm An Animal
10. When Lightning Strikes
11. Say Yeah

Re-recorded KISS classics:

01. Deuce
02. Detroit Rock City
03. Shout It Out Loud
04. Hotter Than Hell
05. Calling Dr. Love
06. Love Gun
07. I Was Made For Lovin' You
08. Heaven's On Fire
09. Lick It Up
10. I Love It Loud
11. Forever
12. Christine Sixteen
13. Do You Love Me?
14. Black Diamond
15. Rock And Roll All Nite

KISS bonus live DVD track listing:

01. Deuce
02. Hotter Than Hell
03. C'mon And Love Me
04. Watchin' You
05. 100,000 Years
06. Rock & Roll All Nite

A one-minute audio sample of "Modern Day Delilah" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Stanley recently stated that "Sonic Boom" is "right up there with our best." He added, "As much as we may have tried at some other times to achieve this, the chemistry, lineup or lack of total commitment from everyone might have been cause for it being impossible. Not now. Not this time.

"Before we began the album, I said I was only interested in doing it if I produced and we followed set ground rules; total commitment by everyone, pure guitar-driven KISS, no outside writers, no outside players and my opinion and say would always be final. All said yes and I know we'd all say we've never had more fun together.

"All four of us made this our priority. Everyone was involved ever day. From the first day of writing to the last day of recording, everyone was there giving 100% to making this the album we knew we had in us. I've never seen Gene [Simmons] more selfless (yes... Gene!),focused or harder-working. His bass playing, songs and overall contribution help to make this the album you've wanted for so long. Without his spirit, this wouldn't have been possible.

"As far as Tommy's [Thayer] guitar playing, he took this chance at bat to consistently hit it out of the park. His playing is fiery and rooted firmly in our history, while making his own mark. Tommy's singing, writing contributions and total involvement made clear what's been missing for so long.

"In the twenty years I've known Eric [Singer; drums], I've never seen him this relaxed or creative. His playing is the foundation of our next step forward. Relentless and full of spit and swagger. Many lead singers don't have Eric's chops or range. He's singing great on his track and all over the album."

In a recent posting on the band's official web site, Simmons wrote, "The entire writing and recording process of ['Sonic Boom'] harkened back to an earlier, more innocent time. A time that produced albums such as 'Rock And Roll Over' and 'Love Gun'. And, the new songs have that feeling, I have to say.

"It all started with a point of view Paul had. The view had to do with ignoring the times, ignoring the critics, not over thinking who and what we are... and that we had nothing to prove to anyone.... nothing. We have been releasing albums and touring for 35 years and why wouldn't we want to do an 'honest' record. Just do it!!! And, he wanted to produce the album himself!!!

"While it's true in the past we had produced KISS records together. And we had both produced other acts outside of KISS. But here was Paul saying he wanted to shoulder the responsibility and burden of steering the good ship KISS on his own.

"He was serious. And I saw it was real. I saw the commitment he was going to make to the album and the band... and I agreed. We all trusted each other and saw the same vision of the band... and perhaps democracy is overrated... and sooner or later, someone had to decide.

"And I will tell you here and now, he's done a great job.

"The process of writing songs involved both writing separately, but often, in hotel rooms and rehearsal halls, literally starting from scratch and throwing riffs and chords at each other. Then working on melody and lyric...starting alone, then bringing it into the rehearsal halls and even during recording, we would often critique the lyrics all the way down to the last minute.

"Tommy really stepped up in the songwriting area....co-wrote some songs with us and actually sings his first song on a KISS album. Eric, likewise was always encouraging and of course, provided his always dependable bombastic drumming style. But unlike other drummers, Eric is also a great singer. Wait until you hear him tear it up on his lead vocal.

"What else, you ask? Well, Paul and I trade vocals on a few tunes and had a lot to say about each other's songs... Result? Maybe the best record we've done in 30 years. Bold statement? You bet."

Classic Rock magazine's Geoff Barton, who heard six of the album's cuts during an exclusive listening session in London last week, said, "KISS promised to deliver a back-to-their-roots album and that's exactly what we've got. Recorded in the old-fashioned, analog way, it sounds spectacularly good — no ProTools nonsense in evidence here.

"The interesting thing is, it's not simply a homage the band's first few albums. There are even nods to records such as [1982's] 'Creatures Of The Night', which had Vinnie Vincent on guitar. KISS seem to have cleverly combined the best of all their eras into a single winning package."

The editor of Guitar Player magazine, who had a chance to preview five songs off the LP last month, wrote about the new KISS material, "Paul sings his ass off. Eric plays some amazingly powerful drums. Gene was finally made to play all of his bass parts (apparently, in the past, if someone had a cool bass idea, he let them play it),and he DOES have a pretty driving sound. Finally, Paul and Tommy's guitars sound HUGE — with some fab riffs and '70s-style solos."

The "Sonic Boom" cover art was created by Michael Doret, who also designed the band's classic "Rock And Roll Over" album cover.

Regarding the artwork for the new KISS CD, Doret told Deucenews, "Paul came to me with the title of the album. We talked about the 'look' he wanted this cover to have. We talked about how the other cover I had done for them, 'Rock And Roll Over', really had become iconic and now represented KISS' music from that early period. He talked about how he'd like the new cover to be suggestive of that look, because they wanted the music in the new album to be more reflective of that time and, of their roots in hard rock. He also stipulated that I needed to use existing photography of the four members instead of creating graphic caricatures (which is what I did in 'Rock And Roll Over'). So that was my challenge: create another iconic cover that would also be reflective in some way of the previous cover.

"When I did 'Rock And Roll Over', I presented the group with one colored pencil drawing. With only a few minor comments, they approved it. After thinking about what I needed to do for this new cover, I spent a week or so creating sketches, then narrowed it down to one which I presented (very nervously) to Paul. Like the first time around, he immediately loved it. Then it was just a matter of refining the sketch, selecting the photos, working out a color palette, and presenting it all to Paul again."

"Modern Day Delilah" audio sample: