Space Invader (album)
| Company type | Studio album |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | August 18, 2014 |
| Founder | Ace Frehley |
| Headquarters | Turlock, California , United States |
Key people | Ace Frehley (producer, lead vocals, guitars) |
| Products | Music album |
| Parent | eOne Music |
Space Invader represents the fourth individual studio release by former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley. It was made available in the United Kingdom on August 18, 2014, followed by its US release on August 19 through eOne Music. This album marks Frehley's first collection of new studio tracks since 2009's Anomaly, with production handled by Frehley himself and recording sessions taking place at The Creation Lab located in Turlock, California.
Achieving a peak position of No.9 on the Billboard 200 chart, Space Invader stands as the sole solo album by any current or former Kiss member to break into the top ten in the United States.
Artwork
The album’s cover was painted by renowned fantasy artist Ken Kelly, who previously contributed artwork for Kiss’s Destroyer (1976) and Love Gun (1977). Kelly expressed excitement about collaborating once again with Ace on this project, highlighting his enthusiasm for supporting Frehley’s continuing musical journey.
Reception
The magazine Classic Rock commended the album for preserving the gritty intensity and distinctive style that Frehley is known for from his early days with Kiss and his solo career. The title track captures Frehley’s trademark sound effectively, while "Toys" recalls the vibe reminiscent of Aerosmith’s Rocks. Instrumental pieces such as "Past the Milky Way" and the extended seven-minute "Starship" demonstrate Frehley’s willingness to explore musical territories beyond Kiss’s usual framework.
Personnel
- Band members
- Ace Frehley – lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass guitar, sound effects, producer, engineer
- Chris Wyse – bass guitar
- Matt Starr – drums, percussion, backing vocals
- Additional musicians
- Alex Salzman – keyboards
- Phil Allen, Chris Cassone, Rachael Gordon, Ken Gullic, Warren Huart, Ronnie Mancuso, Larry Russell – backing vocals
- Production
- Warren Huart – engineering, mixing
- Mike Everett, Alex Salzman, Ronnie Mancuso, Mark Greene, Larry Russell – engineering
- Phil Allen – assistant engineer
- Adam Ayan – mastering engineer
- Paul Grosso – creative direction and design
- Ken Kelly – cover artwork
- Jayme Thornton – photography
Charts
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) | 59 |
| Canadian Albums (Billboard Canadian) | 16 |
| scope="row"Template:Album chart | |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 88 |
| scope="row"Template:Album chart | |
| UK Albums (Official Charts Company) | 158 |
| UK Rock Albums (Official Charts Company) | 15 |
| US Albums (Billboard 200) | 9 |