Ace Frehley – ‘10,000 Volts’
While Kiss finally called it quits for good at the end of 2023, Ace Frehley keeps the lights on with his latest effort “10,000 Volts.”
“I’ll never give up or slow down,” emphatically declares the former Kiss guitarist on the album’s title track. The inspired new offerings find the 2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee still in solid form and having a blast.
On “Cosmic Heart,” Frehley stays humble despite his rock star status when proclaiming, “I’ve traveled all of this world/And tasted life to the max/Met the kings and queens/But it never changed me.”
The melodic groove of “Cherry Medicine” harkens back to Frehley’s appealing vocals featured on “Shock Me” from the Kiss release “Love Gun.” Just like back in 1977, Frehley requests a specific fashion style when announcing, “You make me feel better/When you’re in your black leather.” I guess some things will never change.
Frehley gets sentimental on the rock ballad “Back Into My Arms Again” when describing the return of a lost love, before cranking up the voltage on the muscular “Fightin’ for Life,” a dog-eat-dog anthem that proves to be the signature track of the electrifying set.
“Up in the Sky” delivers more fire power with Frehley demonstrating that he hasn’t missed a beat when delivering the expected guitar goods. “Escaping the future/Forgetting the past/The weather keeps changing/It’s changing so fast,” sings Frehley in an attempt to keep things under control. Fortunately, Frehley’s past and future will always blend seamlessly together with his triumphs during the Kiss tenure and entertaining solo work.
Steve Brown of Trixter works closely with Frehley on the arrangements and lends his expertise to the slick production that comes across fun, fresh and focused.
In the end, Frehley finds yet another way to make his fans feel better by shocking us all one more time.