Kiss guitarist
Ace Frehley is one of the most widely recognized major influences on hard rock six-stringers since the '70s, as such wide-ranging players as
Soundgarden's
Kim Thayil,
Skid Row's
Snake Sabo,
Pearl Jam's
Mike McCready, and
Pantera's
Dimebag Darrell have all worshipped at the alter of
Ace during their formative years. With the never-ending influx of tribute albums in the mid- to late '90s (and with
Ace's former band already the subject of two tribute albums,
Hard to Believe and
Kiss My Ass), the Shrapnel label assembled a cast of metal musicians to pay tribute to
Frehley in 1996, titled
Spacewalk: A Salute to Ace Frehley. Featured are fun readings of such
Kiss/
Ace nuggets as "Shock Me" by
Gilby Clarke and "Parasite" by
Tracii Guns, as well as tracks from
Ace's 1978 solo album ("Rip It Out" by
Scott Ian, "Snowblind" by
Snake Sabo, "New York Groove" by
Bruce Bouillet, and, perhaps the album's highlight, "Fractured Mirror" by
Dimebag Darrell).
Spacewalk: A Salute to Ace Frehley proves once and for all what an important influence the Space
Ace proved to be on a legion of up-and-coming guitarists.