Bruce Kulick Reveals the Truth Behind Kiss's FORGOTTEN Album!
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- In this exclusive interview, former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick opens up about the band’s darkest and most controversial album, Carnival of Souls. Bruce reflects on the grunge era that influenced the album’s heavier sound and explains why the record was shelved despite the effort put into its creation.
From his thoughts on the grunge rock movement, working with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, to how the album ultimately got buried by KISS’s reunion tour with Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, Bruce shares untold stories about what really happened behind the scenes.
Carnival of Souls might not be one of the most popular KISS albums, but it remains a fascinating part of the band's legacy-and in this interview, Bruce reveals why the record deserved more attention. Don’t miss this deep dive into the making of KISS’s most underrated album, the internal band dynamics at the time, and why it still holds a special place for diehard KISS fans.
This is a must-watch for KISS fans and rock music lovers alike!
Cool guy...Honest, open and refreshing to hear him talk about his days. I really enjoy Bruce.
I had the great fortune of meeting and getting to know Bruce at the KC KISS Kon back in 2008. My booth was right next to his. I asked him some questions that he has answered here and it’s cool that he has the same point of view now. No bitterness. He asked me at the time WHY! was I selling all of my vintage merch and I told him it was all about the music for me, and the posters, inserts, records, magazines, etc. were basically valueless to me. I was the only vendor there that day selling original items from the 70’s. I sold practically everything. I offered him my appreciation for his time in the band, and told him that “Carnival” was amazing. I still listen to it a lot. Great guy.
Loved Revenge and Love the Revenge Concert Tour. Band was firing on all cylinders.
Alive III is excellent.
KISS was musically at their PEAK in that Kulick/Singer era 1991-1995. It`s a shame Paul and Gene didn`t go back to that after the reunion fell apart around 2002. They would most likely have had a comeback in the 2000s with that band.
I’m gen x and the non makeup days were the best to me
Saw them on that tour when they played Cleveland with Great White and Trixter. Great show.
@@timglover5358🤘🏻
Love Bruce, they were lucky to have him.
True. In my country (Norway) we say people like Bruce is "the whole wood". That means he is a decent person all the way through.
@@eltoro969 Yes, you can just tell.
My brother and i are KISS fans from the original lineup, remaining fans all through the 80’s and into the 90’s. we wanted the reunion so badly, but when carnival of souls came out, we knew the better band had been sacrificed, psycho circus was Cheesey. It was pandering to what they thought the fans wanted, but it wasn’t even the original members. COS is a real KISS album, Psycho Circus is one KISS song with a bunch of attempts at anthems. The people who complain about Carnival of souls being grunge are just like the people who complained that Dynasty was a disco album.
Truthfully, I never saw I Was Made for Loving You as disco. To me it was another KISS song.
I agree. Psycho Circus song was fine and a couple other tracks but it's an album I have only listened to 3 times since it came out, anything after I still haven't gotten to because of the ho-hum nature of PC. I was fired up for the direction KISS was headed and thought musically that they were finally progressing with Revenge and further with Carnival. I was also hyped for the reunion tour. I expected it would be just that. Reunion tour, get their rocks off for a couple years then get back on track. But Gene only follows $$$ signs and doesn't care who he steps on in that pursuit.
Labels.
Bang on brother well said ! We all love Ace & Peter, don't get me wrong they were so important as the band grew in the earlier days, but for me & for the sake musicianship, harmony, band effort & continuity Bruce & Eric were the still the future of Kiss, I called it at the time I thought & said this reunion tour should be a one off, make a shed load of cash and make a lot of fans happy, beyond that I see the same crap going down within the band, should of been a 1 year world tour then back with Bruce & Eric. As for the Tommy & Eric make up era, I mean it didn't get me too down, but... it's like pouring a glass of beer then leaving it to stand for 3 days, yeah it's beer but it tastes stale! Cheers
I met Bruce in the 99 Dallas KISS expo. He and Eric signed my Carnival of Souls cassette. Bruce is a great guy. KISS does not make it through the 80s & 90s without him.
I got a promo copy of Carnival of Souls before it was released, and ultimately shelved. The song "Rain" was in heavy rotation on Detroit radio before it was pulled because of the reunion. It's the only Kiss album that I legitimately love.
Sure you got a promo copy!
Bruce has to be one of the most honest, likable guys in R&R! I remember hearing at the time that CoS only came out because bootlegs were circulating, which Gene and Paul don't make money on, so they release the official album to squash the bootleg. Not sure if true but it was the rumor at the time. If Bruce reads the comments... Revenge is one of KISS' best albums, and although not well attended, was a great concert and stage! I saw the show in NJ, thanks to passes from, Bruce! Thanks!!
It's true. I bought my copy of COS at an Antique Store in Warrensburg MO ("Those Were The Days") in early 1997.
Some really great hard rock albums died off quickly because of the alternative rock scene took over the mainstream. "Dr Feelgood. PUMP. Use Your Illusion. Revenge. Pornograffitti. Slave To The Grind." etc
@@eltoro969 Dr Feelgood, Pump, and UYI all sold millions and had 1+ year touring cycles.
Slave to the Grind is an underrated masterpiece.
The self-titled Corabi Crüe album from 1994 is the most underrated banger of all bangers, tho
Bruce is such a down-to-earth, cool guy. There are some great tunes on Carnival of Souls.
I love Carnival of Souls!! Great record!!
Lmao
Although he wasn't an original he's my favourite member & guitarist of Kiss, seriously no BS ego with Bruce, who wouldn't want to sit down, have a beer or 2 and listen to Bruce share his stories, he has real respect & time for his fans, honest, down to earth amazing person & player, legend & no question about it. Revenge is my favourite non make up Kiss album, Bruce's guitar leads on that record along with his solos on the Crazy Nights album are my favourites by him, Unholy guitar solo is pure air guitar heaven!!! I think Carnival is a solid album. Thank you Bruce I really appreciate your contributions & performances with Kiss. God bless. Cheers
Bruce Kulick is a saint to have been in the vortex of KISS and yet inhabiting the good natured, even and steady blessing that he was in his membership with the band across the entirety of the gig.
I heard someone say that Tommy Thayer was the nicest guy in Rock but I want to vote for Bruce Kulick for that position.
Rock on Bruce Kulick, you are a great player and even a better man. That's the way to be.
I was a KISS fan starting in 1976 with the Alive ! double album. Saw them live in 1977 for the Rock and Roll Over tour at the age of fourteen. As much as I loved all that I still think Revenge was one of their best albums. Musicianship-wise the lineup of Paul, Gene, Bruce and Eric Singer I feel was the best.
Bruce🎸made Paul🎤shine on "Carnival of Souls". What a strong,
dark and metal-heavy KISS 💋 album. And Bruce is right.
"I Walk Alone" was prophetic.
Love Bruce Kulick such a great guy.
Awesome dude, I saw him and his brother in 1977 Meatloaf footage. It was Surprising for sure.
I have been a kiss fan since Christmas '75. When alive came out . Revenge is their best album. I said what I said.
100%!!
KISS fan since 83.
While I don’t share your opinion, I respect it.
Rock on bro!
I think alot of revenge is the best they ever did but some of those i just wanna f with you songs at the end ruin the best album thing for me .. but yeah good take
Kiss fan since 1977. Never heard a single Kiss album in its entirety after Dynasty.
When that album came out heavy metal and rock n roll were on the ropes, and thrash metal bands were either going soft or becoming too extreme. Revenge reminded me that a Rock and Roll album could still kick ass!
Carnival of Souls sounds like it was inspired by Alice In Chains. Nice to hear Bruce confirm that. I enjoy every KISS album. I like the original KISS sound heard on the first three albums, Alive! and Rock and Roll Over the best.
KISS hired producer Toby Wright, who has worked with AIC on jar of flies, tripod ep and unplugged.
So Kiss was definitely going for that AIC sound.
I've been a Kiss fan since age 8, when Alive II came out. Carnival of Souls is one of my all-time favs.
Regarding Carnival Of Souls, take the opener, Hate. Sure it's more a Gene Simmons song rather than a KISS song. But given that, it's a great song to listen to when you want to smash the windshield of a car that belongs to someone you absolutely despise, or rather, HATE (innuendo not personally intended).
I love that album. Hands down, one of their best pieces of work. They should have released it, toured, then did the reunion.
I Walk Alone is my favorite KISS song.
Class act...love your era Bruce!!!
Thank you
When I first heard Revenge, I was like, "Oh yeah, Kiss is BACK!" And Carnival of Souls, another excellent album of music.
Revenge is really good, but the excitement was mainly because they weren't writing shitty songs like Read My Body and I'm Alive. It wasn't Sgt. Pepper by any means, just better than Lonely Is The Hunter, but not oh wow oh my God what a record.
@@BikerEgg1 2 shitty albums
@@adamrenfrow I appreciate your opinion.
@@Pamplemousse82322 I agree with the "Read my Body" part but "I'm Alive" & "Lonely is the Hunter" were both from albums I thought stronger than Revenge. Revenge was an improvement over the two albums that preceded it but I never thought any more of it than that.
Revenge is good but not great! I see people talking about Read My Body but yet they must not have the Revenge album that was released to the public! Take It Off is right up there with Read My Body! It’s just Paul being Paul!
As for Carnival Of Souls, that’s a crap fest of an album! It’s “darker” my a$$! That is nothing more than Kiss following the trend of the time! It was Disco in 79! It was 80’s metal in 85! Then it was Grunge with COS! COS ranks down at the bottom with Sonic Turd!
❤😂❤we have been fans a longtime. Can't wait to see you.
I love carnival of souls. It’s one of their best albums. I would have loved to see what they had planned for that album cover.
It was meant to be a flaming skull. You may be able to find it on googlev
It’s one of the two worst albums they ever made!
Had Revenge come out in '89 instead of Hot In The Shade, it would've been huge... and if Carnival of Souls come out in '92 instead of Revenge, it would've been huge. Revenge, Carnival Of Souls, and Lick It Up have always been the holy trinity of non-makeup albums for me.
100%!!!
But unfortunately KISS reacts to musical trends.. they don’t create them.
Wow, Bruce. This guy is so feet on the ground plugged in and dialed in and… well he really gets it. Everything about popular rock music, people involved, lack of ego and he has great talent. Never really heard him talk. SO refreshing. Especially being associated with KISS. Not the easiest I can imagine . No barb at Gene and Paul. Really decent guys they are for sure. 👍🏻
I doubt he will see this but I am such a fan of his. In addition to his great work, including contributing to Animalize which I picked up during my formative years and still love, he has always been a class act.
I don't look at the Kiss catalog and judge an album based on whether it fits my musical tastes or was what I was expecting or wanted; I look at each album simply as to whether it was good or not, and Revenge and Carnival of Souls were good, with many interesting colors as Bruce duly noted.
I saw every KISS tour from Animalize to the Lost Cities Tour. Revenge was the best of the bunch. I’m 52 and I’ve been a fan since ‘77. I loved the original four, and I was over the moon to see the reunion tour. Knowing now what KISS became, I would have preferred that the Reunion tour had been a one off, and then Bruce and Eric had rejoined and continued with Gene and Paul.
It kinda felt like the logical step after Revenge. Always liked Carnival of Souls and especially "I walk alone" was such a stand-out track for me. It still is.
To this day, I thought Revenge was a Platinum album! It's my absolute favorite Kiss album and in '92 when I was 11 or so, it blew me away musically with Unholy, Heart of Chrome, and Carr Jam.
Revenge was my gateway into Kiss, such a good album and my first live show tour, got me hooked. lets go!
Carnival of Souls is one kick-@ss album, with Bruce's footprint ALL OVER IT 👇👇:
Vocals, lead guitar; all guitars on tracks 7, 9 and 10, bass and acoustic guitar solo on track 5, all guitars and bass on tracks 2, 6, 8 and 11. His bassline in Jungle is wicked.
My favorite out of the entire KISS catalogue.
I know I speak for quite a few kiss fans when I say I wish after the farewell tour was done Gene and Paul would have went back and got the Bruce and Eric singer lineup back together. And we're still wanting this to happen now that the end of the road tour is over I think there would be some big interest since this lineup hasn't did anything in quite some time.
They should have done that back in 2002. The reunion tour was a big hype. Peter dragged the band down with him already on the first leg of the reunion tour. If they had called it quits after Peter and Ace was out and went back to Eric and Bruce, they would most likely have had a huge comeback.
I absolutely love "Carnival Of Souls". I think it's awesome. I love every song on it! Its wicked. I think it's one of my favorite albums. I like it way better than "Hot In The Shade". It kind of feels like a continuation of "Revenge". I listen to it regularly.
Carnival of Souls kicks ass
It's a real shame that only two studio albums with Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick were recorded with KISS. That lineup of the band deserved to do more because it's a very talented lineup. KISS went from recording 2 studio albums a year to recording 1 a year to recording 1 every other year. Then they just stopped, I guess, because the albums weren't selling as well. Would have been nice to have a regular old KISS album to follow Revenge instead of that drastic departure in style immediately. Seems like there's an album that should be in between there that would contain a better version of Paul Stanley's style but also include the darker stuff Gene and Bruce wanted to do.
it was normal for bands to release two albums a year in the 70's....when the 80's rolled around it became an album every 1.5 to 2 years. KISS wasnt the only one. Van Halen did the same thing.
True. Gene and Paul was at their peak musically in the early 90s. Just watch the Unplugged concert. They are masters of their domains.
Such a shame. That line up was just simply amazing!!!!!!
Kiss fan since 76.....I love Bruce...my favorite song on COS is I Walk Alone...his vocal is superb and very reminiscent of Ace....
We Love You Bruce!!! 🎸⭐️
Revenge and Carnival of Souls were both amazing albums. I always found CoS to be dark and heavy, rather than grunge like some fans seem to think. I suppose there was an influence, but I never thought of it as a grunge album. I liked that era of KISS and wish they had tried to experiment with that more. But, money talks.
carnival of souls is one of my absolute favorites, revenge too
I loved that album, listened to it everyday while I was in Vegas.
Great as his metal/punk moments were, when he sang ballads like Strange world, and songs like ' remember tomorrow ' , he had real soul and a certain timbre to his voice that Maiden never really matched again.
I was young and depressed, full of angst so Carnival of Souls came out at the perfect time for me. It was dark and so heavy. This was full on metal. I would listen to it daily. Still one of my fave albums ever.
I love this album so much.
COS is probably my favourite Kiss record. love that they pursued some darker heavier songs.
Huh. I just thought CoS sounded like Kiss. Now, PSYCHO CIRCUS - I looovvvvved that album!
I absolutely love Carnival of Souls!!!
it's more heavier than regular grunge tho it's more like a grunge metal album took me years to get into it but now it's just another great KISS album! favorite songs for me is : Rain,childhood's end, seduction of the innocent. to name a few!
As long time Kiss fan, I felt CoS was a return to their heavier stuff. A great album in any case!
Bad timing but a really great album I hated in the 90s but LOVE now.
Carnival of Souls is a great album! Horribly underrated and overlooked!
I remember I listened to some of the songs in 98ish and threw the album in the trash. Then, during the pandemic, I re-discovered many albums from the 90s and COS was a big one. I now love that album.
I agree. But I do feel it was just thrown out quickly for contractual reasons and never properly mixed, or supported in any way by the record company or the band, which really had abandoned it altogether for Gene and Paul to get easy $$$.
People like you are what has made it extremely overrated! That grunge wannabe album should have never seen the light of day!
The mix is great and the album is great. It really stands out and stands on its own
Carnival of Souls is an absolute killer record. Bruce's tone is huge 🤘🔥🤘
Carnival of Souls is a fuckin' great album! I bought it when it first came out, and love it!!!
I can see that the metal landscape changing. You seen a lot of bands doing that. Kiss, Anthrax, and others changed their sound
Carnival is so fucking heavy i love it. So many great songs on that record. I wore it out when I got it.
I thought the album was brilliant ! Still on my rotation !!!
So glad to see how much its loved. Great fucking album.
It doesn't matter whether Paul Stanley or Gene Simmons like CoS or not, or whether they stand behind their work. They already have my money for the CD and the vinyl in their account anyway. The main thing is that I like CoS and I can enjoy and celebrate the music.
Bruce is the absolute class act never says a bad thing about anyone even though I feel he got the short end of the stick. Paul and Gene dont give him and Eric Carr enough credit for helping them keep the KISS name alive for a decade and acknowledging there was a whole chunk of the fanbase who loved the non makeup era. Even now the website Focuses on the original line up and the one with the 2 cosplayers
Revenge was my favorite album since the 70's
I Loved that Album, it was a very heavy album. Good stuff.
The musical lurch to the darker side, was i think an unsurprising career move on reflection.& shouldn't have been perceived as being the 'Kiss of Death' The Carnival of Souls is also the name of a cinematic cult classic, culturally the analogy is hopefully not misplaced. Once again great interview, & Your content continues to inspire!😊
Carnival is criminally underrated. Fantastic album. It's in my top 5.
Every Kiss album has songs I like, songs I love, and sing I don’t think work well. That is just the nature of albums. That being said, I love all Kiss albums. I walk alone is a masterpiece.
I actually love that record. It’s raw and so different for KISS. I was the right age for it, but never really got on with grunge (alt rock was way better ie STP, AIC, GooGooDolls etc). Carnival Of Souls to me was a natural step from Revenge.
I had to be able to distance myself from my expectations of KISS to be able to appreciate COS. I hated it in the 90s. Now I love it.
Great album loved Carnival of Soul's
It might have been their grunge or dark album etc, but "Hate" and "Master and Slave" are among the 2 best songs Gene and Paul written. I also love the riff to "Rain". Bruce's song, "I walk Alone" sounds great and stands the test of time.
Carnival of souls. Great Kiss grunge record👍🏻
Carnival of Souls and Music from the Elder are severely underrated, and are my two favorite albums, followed by Revenge. I was sad CoS never got a tour. It's a banger of an album. I first heard the bootlegs and loved it. The day it dropped as an official release, I went and bought it. It's heavy as hell. I remember losing my shit hearing "Jungle" on the radio, like "EVERYBODY QUIET!"
Those that want to knock me for MftE, when listened to in the proper order (the original U.S. printing wasn't in order; current one is), it tells a great fantasy story.
Revenge is a great album. My favorite cut is Domino. The whole album was a nice change. Too bad Gene and Paul didn't try to run both versions of KISS simultaneously. They could have made $$$
I agree with a lot of these people, I enjoyed the hell out of this album. I walk alone was awesome, I love when the chorus kicks in after the solo.
Bruce played his greatest solos on Carnival Of Souls.
I loved Carnival of Souls. When I first heard Jungle on the radio, I was blown away. Hate and Master & Slave are killer tracks. Then, as now, radio sucked for not playing more KISS.
Here in Northern New Jersey we've got a radio station (WDHA 105.5 fm) that actually plays songs from KISS that aren't the usual dry and aged songs from the band
Carnival Of Souls is one of KISS' top 5 studio albums. It's just incredible.
I still listen to it. 9 of the songs are just completely top of the line, single worthy songs.
When I first heard Revenge, I liked some of what they were doing, but songs like Spit, Domino, Paralyzed, I didn't even feel like they were worthy of making it on the album, and wasn't thrilled at all by them. I know that some people like the remake "God Gave Rock And Roll To You" but I could have seriously done without that as well.
As a fan since 74, I felt pretty cheated that COS didn't get released earlier and never got a proper tour. While I greatly enjoyed the reunion tour, I felt that they could have held off a bit and gotten COS a decent tour. Even would have loved it if they would have done a small club tour with the COS album while doing the reunion tour.
COS is in my top 4 of Kiss' albums. Go Bruce!
💪 😎 👍
It’s so nice to hear someone (Bruce) talk about Kiss without the ‘spin’ that Paul and Gene always feel the need to put on it.
I've been a fan since 1979 but for me, Lick it up is their best album. Fast, heavy and i love Genes voice on all his songs. And also Paul on A million to one where he puts on, in my mind his greatest vocal performance ever.
My favourite album from the make-up era is either Rock and Roll over or the first one, mostly because of Black Diamond which is my favourite Kiss song ever.
I never heard any songs from psycho circus on the radio? I was pleasantly surprised to hear 'Jungle' a hand full of times.
I remember hearing “Jungle” for the first time on the local St Louis rock station. I was pumped after hearing that! That album was awesome. Psycho Circus sucked!
I love Carnival of Souls!
Jungle is my favorite Kiss song. I’m really bummed that this era was ignored at the end. What would’ve been really cool would’ve been for Kiss to have opened for Kiss a few times. Come out and play Jungle, Unholy and one or two others, unannounced and just for those who make it in early.
REVENGE LP definitely one of their best::::als owent to see them at NEC in Birmingham on REVENGE tour 10 out of 10😎
Must have been devastating. Bruce always seemed like a lovely guy.
We need to hear all of them recordings asap, what do you think?
Carnival is for sure in their top 5, great album…
I love that album, top5 with KISS in my book
COS such a solid album. Sometimes you have to change with the times.
I love Carnival of Souls just as much as Revenge. Some good stuff on there.
Star Wars did not come back better.
He said "bigger" not better.
It`s kind of a metaphor. Taste of arts like music tend to shift back an forth. I remember how big the 60s was in the early 90s. Trends come and go. I believe that was his point.
Could say the same for the KISS reunion tour 😂
I was just about to say that
He said bigger , not better
Revenge is my favourite Kiss album
C.O.S. is a great album.
I've bought it twice.
Carnival of Souls and Asylum are my Kiss favs!
ASYLUM is my fav album from that era. Very over looked.
Brilliant album 👍
I much prefer Kiss Alive 3 than Revenge. Beautifully mixed.
Revenge is one of my favorites, if not the favorite Kiss album ever!
Briliant album. 2:05 Very thick AIC influence (sometimes too much) but that's okay, Bruce admits that it had a big influence on the songs, and we love AIC.
Revenge was an AWESOME album!
Carnival of Souls is an excellent album!