ACE FREHLEY Vinilo y CD

Review: Guitarist extraordinaire and former Kiss vociferator Ace Frehley's tenth solo album 10,000 Volts is the sonic equivalent of Gakuryu Ishii's bolshy film 'Electric Dragon 80,000 Volts' - a massive, electrifying, out-of-this-world experience that embraces the pure shreddage of the electric guitar, in an ultimate face-off between human and machine. The analogy of overridden circuitry is unsurprisingly useful for evoking related emotions in Frehley's case, as on the title track, on which a perfectly phased-out riff accompanies the lyric, "She hit me like 10,000 volts, when I saw her face". Then come the covers, such as 'Walkin' On The Moon' and the equally raw in-your-facers such as 'Cosmic Heart' and 'Life Of A Stranger'. No fillers here.

Review: Ace Frehley’s role in KISS was crucial in shaping the band's signature theatrics. The Spaceman to Simmons’ Demon, Stanley’s Starchild, and/or Criss’ Catman, Frehley’s silver-laced face makeup would of course come star-dusted by quasaring guitar chops, doubly amplifying KISS's popularity in histrionic heavy metal at large. Frehley’s new Now Playing tracklist - a new record from the prima donna rock quartile via Atlantic - highlights his diverse solo career, with'Rock Soldiers’, ‘Breakout’, 'Into the Night’ and 'Calling to You’ all featuring. It also packs the best hits from his time with Frehley's Comet, such as ‘Insane' and 'Dancin' With Danger’.

Review: Ace Frehley's 1989 recording arrives at a curious crossroads in his career. It's bold, swaggering, and drenched in late-80s hard rock sheen, but there's a thread of defiance running through its polished surface. Frehley, who had long stood in the shadow of his former band KISS, approaches the project with the energy of someone eager to remind the world of his prowess. His trademark guitar flourishes are as electrifying as everisharp, crunchy and steeped in effortless cool. Guest spots from former Kiss drummer Peter Criss and Skid Row members inject bursts of collaborative dynamism, making this not just a solo venture but a communal flex of rock-and-roll camaraderie. Frehley sounds like a man with something to proveiand he delivers, guitar in hand, unapologetic and relentless.