Ace Frehley - Space Invader

Published August 15 2014

*=Staff's pick	Space Invader* Gimme A Feelin' I Wanna Hold You Change* Toys Immortal Pleasures Inside The Vortex* What Every Girl Wants Past The Milky Way Reckless The Joker Starship

Genre	Hard Rock	Ace Frehley	Vocals
Tracks	12	Ace Frehley	Guitar
Running time	54 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	SPV/Steamhammer	Ace Frehley/Chris Wyse	Bass
Release	15 August 2014	Matt Starr	Drums
Country	USA	-	Keyboard
Producer	Ace Frehley
Similar artists	---

It's been five years since the former Kiss guitarist released his latest solo release, Anomaly, and before I listened to Space Invader, I must frankly say that I didn't actually believe that he still was able to produce such a great number of potent songs. I was instantly proven wrong and with this deal Ace shows that he's still someone to be reckoned with.

Sonically this experience is a little scratchy and we're partially taken back on a journey to the seventies, where Ace had his greatest success, as we all are fully aware of. Naturally the overall sound picture is a little different, but I still think that he has managed to recreate a sound suitable for his type of music. With his past in mind, it's perhaps not so surprising anyway that he tries to capitalize on a period where he was famous.

His guitar play is definitely not over the top stunning and from time to time his presence might be a bit exaggerated, yet he is able to bring forth genuine stuff which makes it sound cool, devoted and attractive. I have a rather similar opinion on his voice as well. Although facing shortage in his vocal talent, it somehow feels highly suitable to the music that he presents. It's natural and comes out with some kind of effect that is appealing to me.

The record doesn't specifically show a great deal of variety, yet I somehow don't find it repetitive. The songs feel authentic and I find myself really enjoying the major part of this hard rock record with its classic vibe. Perhaps his version of Steve Miller's The Joker could have been ditched and although this record has its valleys and pits, it still comes out strong at the end of the day and therefore I hand out 7 chalices to Ace's new effort.