Kiss haven't released a new album since 1998's Psycho Circus, but the band is back in the makeup for their upcoming record Sonic Boom. The band has returned with 11 news songs produced by guitarist Paul Stanley. Not all of the original members are on board, though. In addition to original members Stanley and bassist Gene Simmons, the group is fleshed out by guitarist Tommy Thayer (who has played with the band for years, used to be in Deep Purple and wears the Ace Frehley "Spaceman" makeup) and drummer Eric Singer (who has also joined the band on-and-off over two decades and wears original drummer Peter Criss' "Catman" face). They recently revealed the album cover, which is built with classic Kiss iconography in mind: The band name is on top with each of the four members in a corner of the cover (not surprisingly, the art was designed by Michael Doret, who also created the similar-looking Rock and Roll Over sleeve).
The group also announced that the record would be released on October 6th and be available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores (a deal that several classic artists have struck in the past few years, including the Eagles and AC/DC). Despite not having any new material in 11 years, the members of the group have remained pretty active. Simmons became a reality TV personality, starring on both his own show and on NBC's "The Celebrity Apprentice." Stanley put out the solo album Live to Win in 2006 and has shown several of his paintings at art shows. Even former Kiss members remain active, as Ace Frehley has spent time becoming Twitter friends with Taylor Swift.