Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick recently opened up about the 1997 album Carnival of Souls, describing it as a project that was “screwed” but still maintains a dedicated fan following despite Paul Stanley’s lack of enthusiasm for it.
‘Carnival of Souls’ marked KISS’s foray into grunge and was the final album of their “unmasked” era. It also marked the last studio album to feature Kulick and drummer Eric Singer, who had previously stepped in to finish 1992’s Revenge after the tragic passing of Eric Carr.
However, by the time Carnival of Souls came to fruition, band leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley were already laying plans for a reunion with original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, sparked by KISS’s celebrated MTV Unplugged appearance, where Frehley and Criss made surprise cameos. Both Kulick and Singer were kept in the dark about these reunion plans.
In a recent interview with VRP Rocks, Kulick explained the struggles of the album’s production: “It’s a record that got so screwed.” As Kulick recalls, while Gene Simmons pushed for a heavier sound that followed the gritty, hard-edged tones from Revenge, Paul Stanley was less convinced, hesitant to fully embrace the grunge direction.
Despite the challenges, Kulick committed himself to shaping the sound of the album. He co-wrote nine of the album’s 12 tracks and worked tirelessly to craft a darker, more intense version of KISS, even though it didn’t fully resonate with Stanley. Kulick admits that while the record was divisive, he remains proud of his work on it.
“I know it’s a record that [Stanley’s] not proud of,” Kulick acknowledged, “but for some fans, they love it. He’s entitled to that opinion, of course. I just wish it was mixed a little differently, but I’m still proud of it.”
Despite the mixed reception from within the band, Carnival of Souls continues to have its supporters, with fans appreciating its raw, experimental edge. For Kulick, the album remains an important part of his legacy with KISS, even if it didn’t achieve the success it might have had under different circumstances.
