Through nearly five decades of releasing albums, Kiss has built a discography that fans either embrace wholeheartedly, like Alive! and Destroyer, or debate endlessly, such as The Elder and Crazy Nights. Yet few releases have divided opinions quite like their 1997 record, Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions.
Following the heavier direction of 1992’s Revenge, Kiss leaned further into a darker, heavier sound, even pulling in some grunge influences. This shift was underscored by their choice of producer, bringing on Toby Wright, known for his work with Alice In Chains, to co-produce alongside Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley.
However, timing became an issue. Before Carnival of Souls could hit the shelves, Kiss opted to reunite their original lineup for a highly anticipated tour. As a result, the album was shelved for nearly a year, ultimately seeing a quiet release on October 28, 1997.
Former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick, who played a major role in the creation of Carnival of Souls, recently reflected on the album’s complicated legacy during an interview with Chaoszine.
“I’m still very proud of Carnival of Souls,” Kulick said (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). “‘Revenge‘ was heavy, but music changed. So I know Gene had a point of view of continuing to get more dark and heavy. Paul was a little uncomfortable with it, but I also know that they were getting those reunion tour offers. But we did start the album before things got serious about that.”
Kulick recounted how the band continued to work on the album even as plans for the reunion tour solidified behind the scenes.
“So they continued, and we did a record. Ironically, at some point, once they knew they were doing the reunion tour, that’s when they finally told Eric and me that they’re going to do that. And of course, the record couldn’t be released. I thought maybe it would never come out, but eventually, because the record company paid a lot of money for it, it’s going to come out. The choice isn’t very pretty, right? Because they own it. They paid for it.”
Instead of arriving in 1996 as intended, Carnival of Souls was delayed while the Kiss Alive/Worldwide Tour took precedence, filling arenas across the globe. When the album did finally emerge, it did so quietly, without the full promotional push it might have otherwise received.
“So I was glad it came out, even though the ‘Final Sessions‘ and they couldn’t really promote it, they did some radio for it in America. Actually, I remember them asking me and Eric to help. Eric wasn’t interested. I would, I didn’t care. I’d talk about it because I had nine co-writes. I was excited about that. And ‘Jungle’ was a radio hit, which I co-wrote with Paul and this other guy that worked with them.”
Today, Carnival of Souls continues to occupy a unique and divisive spot in the band’s history. Kulick remains fully aware of how fans view it.
“Overall, it has some real fans, although it’s not a very typical Kiss album, it isn’t. But neither is The Elder. It was there because of heading in a direction heavier than Revenge, that’s all. And then, of course, the gears changed to ‘reunion tour,’ which is just going backwards, basically, and revisiting the early years.”
He reflected on the striking contrast between the band’s grunge-inspired experimentation and their return to early-era staples during the reunion.
“It’s so different, if you think about where we were, and very ironic, and then they’re doing ‘Firehouse,’ you know what I mean? And ‘Shock Me’. To me, all the albums have weight and importance. And of course, with the early stuff, they were always in makeup. By the time it changed, there were already different members and things like that. Carnival of Souls has an interesting place in the ‘Kisstory,’ that’s all. And I’m happy we got it out.”
Kulick’s reflections offer a window into a turbulent yet creatively bold period in Kiss’s history — one where the band momentarily looked to the future before stepping back into their iconic past.
