•
Rating: 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)...
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Hate (04:34)
Hate, is what I am
Cause' underneath this heart
There beats the heart of man
You'll wear your crown
When you're lyin' 6 feet underground
Don't you think it's odd
Man was created in the image of God
All you martyrs and saviours
Go through the same door
Listen all you butchers, saints and sinners
We've all been here before
Yes, Hate is what I am
Cause' underneath this heart
There beats the heart of man
So you're lookin' for a saviour
But I'm here to tell ya
You gotta save yourself
Like a lamb to slaughter
All you ever did was follow orders
All you martyrs and saviours
Go through the same door
Listen all you butchers, saints and sinners,
We've all been here before
All you martyrs and saviours
Go through the same door
Hey listen all you butchers, saints and sinners,
We've all been here before
Hate HATE!
Yes, Hate is what I am
Cause' underneath this heart
There beats the heart of man, man
MAN!
06 Childhood's End (07:03)
I lived a life of illusion and you had your kicks
So what, there's nothing left to do
And you and your obsessions and your crucifix
As if what I thought mattered much to you
(chorus)
And you were always my friend from Childhood's End
It was forever and ever
Did you understand
It's Childhood's End
But never, the dream is over
Sunday morning in the New York Times
I read you died last night
It said you were smilin' when you blew your mind
And the note you left behind said:
You were always my friend from Childhood's End
Seems like forever and ever
Yeah, you won't have to have to pretend
It's near the end
You won't ever be a rock and roller
You were just like me, I was just like you
For eternity I'll think of you!
Yeah, you were always my friend from Childhood's End
But never, the dream is over
You were just like me
I was just like you
For eternity I'll think of you
(Repeat choruses, overlapping, fade out)
You've got something about you,
You've got something I need...
Loading comments slowly
Other reviews
By djgruff
This is one of the worst records I have ever heard, pure garbage!
Paul Stanley seems to be acting as if he’s at the beach with some friends with a vocal tone totally unsuitable for this grunge experiment.
