Original KISS guitarist, Ace Frehley, is featured in a new interview with Cassius Morris discussing his new album, 10,000 Volts. During the chat he commented on his longevity and having outlasted his former band.
Frehley: "Getting sober was probably one of the major stepping stones for me to keep myself going. I'm much healthier now than I was 10, 15 years ago. But Paul (Stanley) and Gene (Simmons), over the years, have always kind of dragged my name through the mud. To try to validate the fact that they had Tommy Thayer in the band, they used to make statements. You can look 'em up in videos. There's dozens of 'em, where they say, 'Ace wasn't up for the job, Ace was unemployable, he was always late.' That got to me. And to this day, it still bothers me, but it doesn't hold water. I made this statement before this record even started. I said, 'This album's gonna embarrass them,' because they can't do a record this good. I dare them to."
Frehley has released his new single, "Walkin’ On The Moon". This is the second track from 10,000 Volts, which will be released on February 23. Produced and co-written by Ace and Steve Brown, the uncontainable energy on the 11-tracks showcases some of Ace's best works since his '78 solo album.
On "Walkin' On The Moon," Ace's voice rings out between towering distortion as a lovestruck hook echoes, “When I wake up, you’re all I see. You got me walkin’ on the moon!” His string bends practically engage in a call-and-response with the refrain while another celestial solo resounds. An alt-cover, solar flare vinyl variant of this single is available now, here.
The entertaining video was directed by Alex Kouvatsos from Black Wolf Imaging. Watch below:
Ace has announced a signing session at Sam Ash Music in New York City on February 24.
Says Frehley, "Pre-order the Sam Ash NYC In-Store Exclusive Bubblegum vinyl variant of my new album 10,000 Volts and you'll get to meet me in person at Sam Ash Music (W34th St. New York, NY) on Saturday Feb 24, 2024."
Further details here.
Rock ‘n’ roll and heavy metal simply wouldn’t sound, look, or feel the same without Ace Frehley. Among hundreds of accolades, The Rock and 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].
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:
Upcoming Ace Frehley tour dates are listed below. Traditional VIP Experience packages are available. Visit AceFrehley.com or scan the code in the poster below.
Dates:
March
2-6 - Miami, FL - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
28 - New York, NY - Sony Hall
29 - Woonsocket, RI - Stadium Theatre
30 - Rutland, VT - Paramount Theatre
April
12 - Rome, NY - Rome Capitol Theatre
13 - Carteret, NJ - Carteret Performing Arts & Events Center
June
28 - Marion, IL - Marion Cultural & Civic Center
(Photo - Jayme Thornton)
