Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions

Occupation

• Vocals, rhythm guitar: Paul Stanley
• Vocals, bass guitar: Gene Simmons
• Vocals, lead guitar: Bruce Kulick
• Drums, Vocals: Eric Singer

Carnival of Souls is the 17th studio album by the American hard rock band Kiss. It was produced in 1995, but the label put the CD in 1997 on the market. The extraction Jungle reached the U.S. Top Ten. However, the album is one of the two from a total of 19 studio albums, which reached neither the board nor the gold status.

Genesis

Classification in the musical background

→ Main article: Kiss / Discography

The 1992er album Revenge ended the long period of the 1980s. The LP did not sound like its immediate predecessor albums, she was again significantly harder and reminds us of the change of direction in 1982 with Creatures of the Night, with the Revenge is often compared. Thus, nearly all the pieces of classic hard rock with a well-measured amount of jagged heaviness and a rich sound, in which hard guitar riffs dominate.

On the album Carnival of Souls Kiss experimented with grunge and a gloomy Hardrock-/Heavy Metal Melange. The album sounds modern and song technically constructive and pursues a contemporary style concept in semi-hard mid-tempo. Both the vocal and instrumental music are generally relatively slow, lengthy, low toned and sometimes moody.

Formation and result

The album was produced between November 1995 and February 1996 but came only in 1997 on the market. Background was the reunion of the group. The original line-up fell in the early 1980s, apart: Peter Criss left the group in 1980, Ace Frehley 1982, the remaining original members and driving forces of the band, Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, committed new musicians and produced from 1983 their LPs only without her. classic makeup and the concerts were just unflattering. 1995 invited the former members of Kiss on a MTV unplugged show a in which the then current line-up played together with the retired founding members Criss and Frehley. Hence the idea back together act as a made- original line -up and play mainly old material from the 1970s developed. During this time the reunion of the record company, the issuing of the album Carnival of Souls appeared untimely. Because the band was not to listen to the album in its original line-up current time and the concerts the band played in the made- original cast. According to behave were the reactions of the followers and the buyer, even though the production quality is considered to be technically music.

The music itself is a gritty hard Rock-/Heavy Metal Melange with elements of grunge music. Both the vocal and instrumental music are generally relatively slow, lengthy, low toned and sometimes cumbersome. The lyrics are mostly nihilistic and characterized by negative mood, major contents include the dark side of the human psyche.

On this album next to the frontmen Stanley and Simmons, a third lead singer presented: a song sung by the guitarist Bruce Kulick; since the departure of founding members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley a third voice had become extremely rare on the albums. Ace Frehley was in 1981 on the album Music from the Elder lead vocals and Eric Carr in 1989 on the album Hot in the Shade. Overall, the previously rather inconspicuous Bruce Kulick much involved in the recordings of this album, as he participated extensively in songwriting and almost all guitar grossed.

Singer and rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley says about creation and result of the album: "I was, frankly, on the other hand, include as an album, but there is a band also times when one adapts tacitly or give in, because another of the band wants to make it absolutely. [ ... ] For me this is nothing more than an attempt to create something that was purely a misstep in my eyes. "

Producer Toby Wright says about its origin: " Kiss wanted to make not a happy album. At the time was gloomy grunge the latest trend. [ ... ] They wanted to sound darker, harder and more aggressive. [ ... ] Looking back, I have to say that the album is stylistically fall somewhat confused. The sound is excellent, but about the music is debatable. Some like it, some do not. I wish I would have taken to work on some songs more time, because we did not think very long and hard on. " In a review of the album in 2012, he qualified this statement and said, Carnival of Souls was" one of " been " the best work of Kiss I really loved this album, and I am of the opinion it is one of their best works, because it shows an interesting side of her songwriting "

Lead guitarist Bruce Kulick talks about the result this way: "Because of the reunion tour, the album should be something like, The Elder II ', because the record company ruined every little opportunity that would have had the plate. They let her go down by not making so much promotion for it. "

Drummer Eric Singer formulated his view of the result like this: " Would it be the album of another band, I'd say it's pretty cool, but when I listen to it so, I think: 'These are not yet Kiss' This is maybe rock music, but far away from the true rock ' n ' roll. "

Title list

Chart success

The album reached the top ten in any country.

A decoupling there was not in Germany. In the United States came with the single Jungle - a melodic, musically and lyrically gloomy outstanding piece - a great success. In the U.S. charts, the song reached # 8 and was elected in Metal Edge Reader's Choice Poll for Song of the Year 1997.

Reviews

• Rock Hard said in 1997: " Even more clearly than on the '92, Revenge' single, Unholy 'Kiss show from a sinister side that spreads a surprising post-grunge atmosphere. [ ... ] Even critical contemporaries must recognize envy that Kiss themselves leave on unfamiliar terrain a more than passable figure. "
• Metal Hammer said in 1997: " Carnival of Souls ' Kiss shows remarkably innovative, presents modern metal elements and likely fans who swear by the hit - oriented Glamepoche the seventies, quite heavy on the stomach. The twelve tracks are presenting a modern style concept, interspersed with occasional ballad sounds and semi-hard mid-tempo rockers. "
• Audio said in 1997: " Technically correct, but plenty of uninspired makes use of the quartet of popular grunge, rock and metal clichés. Not unbearable, but unnecessary. "
• Coupe said in 1997: " Hard-hitting rock rhythms, for every headbanger the highest. With titles like, Master & Slave ' Kiss will not the charts, but to win the hearts of many. Conclusion: Power Rock, which makes the walls shake! "
• Break Out said in 1997: " The songs all have a mid-tempo, let all flames miss work cobbled together carelessly and have a near zero recognition. [ ... ] Carnival of Souls ' may well go loose as lousy test plant in the history of the shock rocker. "
• Good Times said in 1997: " time in slow-motion sheep's clothing (, It Never Goes Away ' ), sometimes grotesque entstöpselt ( I Will Be There '), surprise the mid-life long-haired now and then even with sophisticated songwriting (' Childhood's End '), dodgy ballads (, Seduction of the Innocent ') and stunning intros ( I Confess '). Just listen! The album is better - and amusing! - Than it is to admit the rock musically correct reviewers - front. "
• EMP meant 1997/1998: " Songs like Rain ',' In My Head ' or the above-mentioned, Seduction of the Innocent ' are simply fantastic, but spread a little moody atmosphere in Paul, I Will Be There ' almost escalated. "
• Music Express said in 1997: " And just as the material sounds as well: second-rate. Uninspired Poser Metal with simplistic melodies, silly lyrics and bold song titles like, Hate ',' Master & Slave 'or' Seduction of the Innocent '. "
• Racecourse Express said in 1997: "It is not only musically something new, this CD is once again a milestone from the cult band Kiss. ​​"
• Visions said in 1997: "This is an alternative rock album that reveals its author only in rare moments [ ... ] But when you consider that, Carnival of Souls ' after all, is supposed to represent the 30th Kiss album, it remains simply an impertinence. "
• Rock Box said in 1997: " Rather, the book presents completely different, modern, song technically more constructive, '90s - compatible. "
• The journal said in 1998: " Of all the albums of American cult rock ranks, Carnival of Souls ' on the drop zone. The band tried to integrate the latest trends in their sound, but that took a sharp next -. Forced act the songs and convulsively "