Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:
May 28, 2022, may go down as one of the more surreal moments in "KISStory," when three of KISS' former guitarists – Ace Frehley, Vinnie Vincent, and Bruce Kulick – all shared the stage together for the first time ever, as part of a gathering in Nashville called Creatures Fest.
To the best of my knowledge, Frehley has never discussed his thoughts and memories of this brief union – in which the trio played several KISS classics together while Vincent stood atop a replica of the tank utilized for KISS' tour in support of Creatures Of The Night, and donned his Egyptian Warrior make-up design. The original Spaceman performed sans make-up, while Kulick sported a headscarf with various ankh symbols – which he calls his "Vinnie Vincent headscarf."
So, while doing press for his upcoming solo album, 10,000 Volts, I figured the time was right to finally hear what Frehley thought about the whole unusual experience – which also saw pre-recorded drum tracks utilized rather than being provided by a real drummer, plus vocals and bass duties handled by a chap named Shane Smith.
Greg Prato: Last year, you got to play with Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick at Creatures Fest 2022. Was that your first time ever meeting Vinnie, and what was that like?
Ace Frehley: "It was real interesting. Very few people believe that all these years, I had never met Vinnie Vincent. And it wasn't because I was trying to avoid him or vice versa. It's just somehow, somehow, our paths never crossed. But we got along famously. I didn't realize he was a lot shorter than me. But other than that, he got there and played some nice guitar licks. We jammed together, and it was a fun night. I was there with Vinnie… and I think Peter Criss was there, and Bruce Kulick – I'm really good friends with Bruce."
"It's really funny – I'm friends with all the guys in KISS. Even Eric Singer is a dear friend of mine. And now I'm friends with Vinnie. I never had a problem with any of these people. But for some reason, Paul had a problem with a lot of them. And Gene. But I'd rather not even talk about those guys since they're retired and their career is winding down while mine is taking off. So, that's kind of nice."
Prato: What did you think of Vinnie's playing? Because he played on two KISS albums, Creatures Of The Night and Lick It Up.
Frehley: "He's a good guitar player. Even Paul has said in interviews that Vinnie is a really good songwriter. I never dissected any of his songwriting, but from what I understand, he was a really good songwriter. I think he's a good guitar player. None of us can play exactly the way we did when we were in our twenties – because age catches up with you a little. But you do your best. But Bruce is an excellent musician – he's actually technically a better guitar player than me. I'd be the first to say that. But I have a certain style that I've developed over the years, that even if it's a little sloppy, people always can recognize Ace Frehley solos. At least that's what I'm reading when I read comments on YouTube."
Read more at Ultimate-Guitar.com
Frehley will release his new studio album, 10,000 Volts, on February 23. Produced by Ace and Steve Brown (Trixter), the 11-track 10,000 Volts sees Ace perform electrifying, hard-hitting, riff-heavy rock'n' roll.
Pre-order the new album here.
10,000 Volts tracklisting:
"10,000 Volts"
"Walkin’ On The Moon"
"Cosmic Heart"
"Cherry Medicine"
"Back Into My Arms Again"
"Fightin’ For Life"
"Blinded"
"Constantly Cute"
"Life Of A Stranger"
"Up In The Sky"
"Stratosphere"
"10,000 Volts" video:
Rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal simply wouldn’t sound, look, or feel the same without Ace Frehley. Among hundreds of accolades, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted him in 2014 as a co-founder and the original lead guitarist of KISS. Guitar World named him in the Top 15 of its “100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time” and plugged the lead from “Shock Me” on the “50 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time.” Magnifying the imprint of his catalog as a solo artist, Foo Fighters cut a fan favorite cover of “Ozone,” and he even jammed out “New York Groove” alongside The Roots on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The late Dimebag Darrell of Pantera proudly sported a tattoo of Frehley on his chest, while Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine celebrated him on X/Twitter as “My first guitar hero.”
10,000 Volts upholds an incredible legacy for Frehley, spanning 50-plus years in the limelight. Back in 1978, he delivered his solo debut, Ace Frehley. It reached platinum status and exploded as “the highest-selling of the four KISS solo albums in the Soundscan era.” In 1987, he dropped Frehley’s Comet. Following Anomaly in 2009, he went on to make history once again. His 2014 Space Invader LP captured #9 on the Billboard 200 and emerged as “The only solo album by a past or current KISS member to reach the Top 10 on the chart.” 2016’s Origins Vol. 1, bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums Chart and in the Top 5 of the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart. He notably maintained his momentum with Spaceman [2018].
