Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions
| Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions | ||||||||||
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| Studio album by Kiss | ||||||||||
| Released | October 28, 1997 | |||||||||
| Recorded | November 1995 – February 1996 | |||||||||
| Genre | Heavy metal, grunge | |||||||||
| Length | 60:11 | |||||||||
| Label | Mercury | |||||||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
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.
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.
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.
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."
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