Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions
| Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||||||||
| Studio album by Kiss | ||||||||||
| Released | October 28, 1997 | |||||||||
| Recorded | November 1995 – February 1996 | |||||||||
| Genre | Heavy metal, grunge | |||||||||
| Length | 60:11 | |||||||||
| Label | Mercury | |||||||||
| Producer | ||||||||||
| Kiss chronology | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions is the 17th studio album from American rock band Kiss. Originally slated for a 1996 release, it was ultimately not released until 1997. It was the band's final album with lead guitarist Bruce Kulick. The album is a departure from the band's classic hard rock style, in favor of a dark and dense grunge-oriented sound.[1]
Overview
Recorded in late 1995/early 1996, Kiss cancelled the album's original release as they instead committed to a reunion tour with the band's original lineup. Bootleg copies were circulated by fans, prompting the band to officially release the material in 1997, albeit reluctantly. Because of this, there was no tour to support the album, and ultimately, none of the songs on Carnival of Souls have ever been performed live.
Two former members of the band Black 'N Blue co-wrote songs on Carnival of Souls; vocalist Jaime St. James co-wrote "In My Head", and guitarist Tommy Thayer collaborated on "Childhood's End". Perhaps coincidentally, Thayer would join Kiss as the band's permanent lead guitarist in 2002. The album's closing track, "I Walk Alone", features lead vocals from the band's then-lead guitarist Bruce Kulick, his only lead vocal performance with the band.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
The only single released from the album was "Jungle", which was a minor success, reaching #8 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks Charts. No music video was made for the single, but it won a 1997 Metal Edge Readers' Choice Award for Song of the Year.[3]
Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine criticized the album, writing, "In some ways, it should have stayed unreleased, since Carnival of Souls hardly captures Kiss at their best." Erlewine further explained, "None of the songs, either the predictable rockers or the by-the-book power ballads, stand out, and the music sounds canned, forced, and overproduced, with little of the self-deprecating humor that made the comeback tour a success."[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hate" | Gene Simmons, Scott Van Zen, Bruce Kulick | Simmons | 4:36 |
| 2. | "Rain" | Paul Stanley, Kulick, Curtis Cuomo | Stanley | 4:46 |
| 3. | "Master & Slave" | Stanley, Kulick, Cuomo | Stanley | 4:57 |
| 4. | "Childhood's End" | Simmons, Tommy Thayer, Kulick | Simmons | 4:20 |
| 5. | "I Will Be There" | Stanley, Kulick, Cuomo | Stanley | 3:49 |
| 6. | "Jungle" | Stanley, Kulick, Cuomo | Stanley | 6:49 |
| 7. | "In My Head" | Simmons, Van Zen, Jaime St. James | Simmons | 4:00 |
| 8. | "It Never Goes Away" | Stanley, Kulick, Cuomo | Stanley | 5:42 |
| 9. | "Seduction of the Innocent" | Simmons, Van Zen | Simmons | 5:16 |
| 10. | "I Confess" | Simmons, Ken Tamplin | Simmons | 5:23 |
| 11. | "In the Mirror" | Stanley, Kulick, Cuomo | Stanley | 4:26 |
| 12. | "I Walk Alone" | Simmons, Kulick | Kulick | 6:07 |
Personnel
- Paul Stanley - rhythm guitar, vocals
- Gene Simmons - bass guitar, vocals
- Bruce Kulick - lead guitar, bass guitar on "Rain", "I Will Be There", "Jungle", "It Never Goes Away", "In the Mirror", and "I Walk Alone", lead vocals on "I Walk Alone"[4]
- Eric Singer - drums, percussion, backing vocals
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart[5] | 37 |
| Dutch Albums Chart[6] | 66 |
| European Albums Chart[7] | 84 |
| Finnish Albums Chart[8] | 17 |
| German Albums Chart[9] | 36 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart[10] | 23 |
| Swedish Albums Chart[11] | 29 |
| US Billboard Pop Albums[12] | 27 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Single | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | "Jungle" | 8[13] |
References
- ↑ Floren, Ingo (2004). The Official Price Guide to Kiss Collectibles. Ingo Floren. ISBN 1400050294.
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions at AllMusic
- ↑ Metal Edge, June 1998
- ↑ Saulnier, Jason (14 March 2011). "Bruce Kulick Interview". Music Legends. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=6QkEAAAAMBAJ&lr=&rview=1
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ↑ "Kiss Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums" at AllMusic. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ↑ "Billboard chart history-Kiss singles". Retrieved February 12, 2009.
