Ace Frehley

10,000 Volts is launched into the stratosphere February 23 so mark your calendar you will not want to miss this!

The Spaceman is back, but for many he never left! As a dedicated follower of Ace Frehley I was beyond excited to wrap my listening gear around his latest release and give you my thoughts.

The opening track 10,000 Volts is instantly stuck in your head, that trademark Ace opening is right there from the get-go with riffs galore and a catchy chorus. Of course, Ace never strays far from his outer space roots and this album is not exception, with song two aptly named Walking On The Moon. While this one is a bit slower it still has lots to love, with the Frehley sound stamped heavily on it.

Cosmic Heart sees a mind-bending solo and Ace really showcases his shredding skills. Every song has a memorable moment that makes you instantly know this is Ace’s handiwork at play. Produced by Ace himself along with Steve Brown you can see the 50 plus years’ experience from Ace being poured into each and every song.

Cherry Medicine opens with another heavy riff and one synonymous with Ace, it is raw and rugged and I love it. While the album screams Ace Frehley from every pore, I still believe there has been a little bit of explorative work done to expand and change his sound to keep things interesting. Another stinging solo popped in the middle keeps you bopping along and singing ‘Cherry Medicine’ out loud by the song’s conclusion. Back Into My Arms Again slows down the pace and reminds us that Ace can write a little love ditty if he needs to. Then we are back to the punchier tracks with Fighting For Life. This song holds it place on the album with vigour, it instantly had my foot tapping with its catchy hooks and snappy lyrics.

I know there has been a lot of correlation to Ace’s solo Kiss album, and while I can see it reflected here it has its own feel and I would not be one to set them side by side. Blinded and Constantly Cute lift the second half of this album and keep you engaged to listen to the last few tracks. I know at times the second half of albums can lag but this is not the case with 10,000 Volts.  It seems to pick up the pace as the album comes to its conclusion with Life Of A Stranger pulling on the blues vibe which I really enjoy.  It isn’t often we see Ace experiment with these different genres and I like it.

Up In The Sky gives me instant New York Groove feels and I bloody love it, Kiss fans will eat this one up. Even his vocal tone brings out the nostalgic 70’s Kiss energy. It is placed well on the album sitting close to the finish line and ingraining on your memory as you take in the last song Stratosphere. Another theme fitting song, Stratosphere is an instrumental that ties everything on 10,000 Volts together. With some lovely guitar work it has a relaxed feel and is very easy to listen too. It showcases Ace’s skills and rounds the album out perfectly.

Fans of Ace will gobble this album up with wild abandon and it may even just swing those who are on the fence. All in all 10,000 Volts is a very solid delivery of new material and will recharge the batteries of those waiting for some new tunes.  It is clear that Ace is going nowhere and is still smashing out some cool material that rivals anything else that is flooding the market currently. I will be adding it to my playlist immediately and I recommend you do the same.