Kiss
Carnival Of Souls

THE REVIEW

This album is considered (by KISS fans and others) one of the worst works of the New York quartet, if not the worst ever.

Well, as you have noticed from my rating, I don't think so.

Let's proceed in order. We are in 1997, the KISS will return in less than a year to be the 4 musicians who became an American icon in the 70s. But until that moment, Simmons and Stanley release this Carnival Of Souls still together with Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer.

The album’s sound is very close to grunge, not to mention all the electronics used by the four, and perhaps this is what turned the nose of admirers, not to mention those who didn't like KISS at all.

Yet it is a very valid album, with strong points. Many compare it to Music From The Elder, from '81. Even then, in fact, KISS presented a work outside their usual schemes, in short, an experimentation. I also compare it to this album, just as The Elder was, in fact, underestimated and not by little, and both have been called the "worst KISS albums" with a lot of courage, perhaps without noticing the very low quality of other works (I am referring to Animalize and Asylum).

The atmospheres are dark, and if one is not used to certain sounds, perhaps they will not manage to reach the end of the record.

The almost unbearable intro of "Hate" already makes everything clear. Not to mention the powerful riff of "Rain" which easily leaves an impression. It is followed by "Master & Slave", which is also very catchy and in my opinion one of the best tracks on the album. "Childhood's End" opens with a small electronic intro (like most songs) and flows into a nice chorus, a bit weak though; Simmons' voice seems almost tired. In fact, this is also why the album is considered "strange." Weak, listless, a bit down maybe (to put it simply). "I Will Be There" is indeed one of the sleepiest Kiss songs. The sixth song, a bit long, is called "Jungle" and we can define it as the main piece of the record, a single that was chosen in fact at the time to anticipate the album. The song is really charming, with a beautiful bass line throughout the 6-minute duration. In the verse, you hear the usual vocal monotony of Paul, monotony that then explodes into an excellent chorus.

At this point (halfway) through the album, one might be quite satisfied. Unfortunately, the following tracks are of an incredible "anemia." It is almost impossible to listen to one in full. I will also avoid naming them except for the very last track "I Walk Alone" which I like a lot. Naturally, it always leads to the usual drowsiness of the other songs, but it is catchy and endowed with a nice solo by Bruce Kulick. Speaking of Kulick, it is precisely him who sings the song, the only KISS track with Kulick on lead vocals.

Once the album is finished, the listener may suffer from a headache for two or three hours, curable with a good listen to "true" KISS music, like Destroyer or Alive. As for the review, in my opinion, a three and a half is the perfect rating for this album. The first part is OK, the second is KO, nevertheless, the first isn't that much OK (XDXD excuse my simplicity)...