Bruce Kulick defends KISS’ ‘Worst’ Album Showing Gene Simmons’ Dark Side

Bruce Kulick spoke to VRP Rocks on KISS’s ‘worst’ and darker record, ‘Carnival of Souls.’ Kulick said fans could have praised the album more. The band was confused, ‘Well, let’s make a darker and meaner KISS album.’ Paul became disillusioned with that stuff, but when he needed a riff, he wrote ‘Master & Slave,’ the riffs in that, and dialed it in. I co-wrote nine songs and did nine because I isolated myself in my room with drum machine, guitars, ideas, vibes, and recorded everything and delivered it to them.”

Despite not like the record, Paul Stanley continued: “We already worked on stuff so then it was just, ‘How can I warm Paul up to this kind of edgier, darker KISS and it worked. He’s not proud of the record, yet some fans enjoy it. He’s entitled to his viewpoint, but I still like “Carnival Of Souls” even though I wish it had been mixed better. My one vocal performance, ‘I Walk Alone,’ was prophetic, but the record got so twisted up.”

Two years ago, Kulick described how the band adopted drop-D tuning, harder sounds, and released ‘Carnival of Souls.’ I think music was getting darker and grungier at the time. This is known, and I think Gene was extremely into it. He loved some of those bands’ darkness. He liked the drop-D tuning and other things, but Paul wasn’t. He disliked flannel shirts and such. I worked a lot with Gene when we started creating songs, which had nothing to do with the Reunion Tour. Gene was incredibly creative and writing. Eric [Singer] and I would jam in funky studios and come up with ideas. Some reached ‘Carnival of Souls,’ while others ended up on ‘Psycho Circus’ like ‘Within.’”

Kulick co-wrote nine songs on the album despite the Reunion Tour and MTV Unplugged interrupting recording.