KISS Have Recorded a New Paul Stanley Song—and Ace Frehley’s Guitar Legacy Still Looms Large

A new KISS song will arrive carrying something no recording session can erase: decades of expectations.

Some listeners will want a chorus built for an arena. Others will listen for the guitar sound, the attitude, or a reason to believe the band still has something to say. Before anyone hears the first riff, the discussion will already be crowded with memories.

What has actually been confirmed

For now, there is one concrete development. Tommy Thayer has confirmed that KISS recorded a new song written by Paul Stanley.

“We did record a great new song that Paul wrote,” Thayer told Guitar World in an interview excerpt published September 5. He did not disclose its title or release date, and the report does not establish that a full album is coming. Guitar World’s interview report

That follows Gene Simmons’ comments in May, when he told KISSbySienna that the band had recorded a Stanley composition. The latest update adds confirmation from Thayer; it should not be mistaken for an announcement of a second new track. Earlier reporting on Simmons’ comments

KISS finished their End of the Road farewell tour at Madison Square Garden in December 2023. Thayer’s latest comments make clear that the end of touring left room for further creative work. He described future music as something that needs a purpose and a sense of occasion. Guitar World

That is a reasonable standard. A new KISS recording ought to earn repeat listens after the announcement stops being news.

The interesting test will be the song itself. Does the riff establish an identity? Does the chorus justify the build? Does the guitar break give listeners something they want to hear again?

Why Ace Frehley belongs in this conversation

Those questions also explain why Ace Frehley belongs in this conversation.

Frehley died on October 16, 2025, aged 74. The original KISS lead guitarist helped establish the band alongside Stanley, Simmons, and Peter Criss, and his death made the distance between the group’s beginnings and its future painfully permanent. Reporting on Frehley’s death

There is no suggestion in the reports cited here that Frehley appears on the newly discussed recording. His connection to this story is the music he left behind—and the expectations that music created.

For anyone discovering him through KISS headlines, Frehley deserves attention beyond his makeup, his nickname, and the arguments about the band’s various lineups.

Listen to the shape of his playing. The bends often carry as much weight as the runs. Repeated phrases build anticipation. A short burst of notes can feel like a challenge thrown across the rhythm section, followed by a sustained note that lets the whole passage land.

Our view is that his greatest strength was making a solo feel like something a listener could remember independently of the guitar technique required to play it. You could carry the contour of the phrase away from the record.

That is a useful distinction for guitarists. Learning where the fingers go is only the beginning. The character lives in how a phrase starts, how hard the strings are struck, and how long a note hangs before the next idea arrives.

Where to start listening

“Shock Me,” from 1977’s Love Gun, is an obvious place to begin. Written by Frehley, it also introduced him as a lead vocalist on a KISS recording. Frehley on recording the song and his first lead vocal

The appeal is in the whole performance. The vocal has a conversational ease, while the guitar supplies the sharper edges. As a listening exercise, follow the transition from the vocal into the lead playing. Notice how the guitar changes the energy without making the song feel like it has stopped for a demonstration.

For a different perspective, move to Frehley’s self-titled 1978 solo album. Its platinum status and the success of “New York Groove” established that his appeal could extend beyond his role within the band. Frehley’s official biography

“New York Groove” is especially useful listening for players who associate a guitar hero’s identity exclusively with soloing. Pay attention to the pulse and the space around the vocal. Restraint can make a performance recognizable, too.

His career also continued well beyond that first solo statement. Frehley’s Comet arrived in 1987; later releases included Anomaly, Space Invader, and 10,000 Volts. Space Invader reached No. 9 on the Billboard 200 in 2014. Official biography and discography background

That later work belongs in an introduction to Ace. Stopping at the familiar KISS records leaves out an artist who continued writing, recording, and developing a catalog under his own name.

His influence also crossed musical generations. Dimebag Darrell wore a Frehley tattoo, while Tom Morello identified Ace as his first guitar hero. Those connections are a reminder that influence does not require the next player to sound exactly like the person who inspired them. Frehley’s official biography · Morello on Frehley

Sometimes the lasting gift is permission to pick up the instrument and develop a personality with it.

Playing advice: phrasing before shopping

For players exploring that personality, begin with phrasing before shopping. Work on bringing a bend accurately to pitch. Repeat a short phrase until its rhythm feels deliberate. Leave enough room between ideas to hear whether each one deserves to be there.

Then consider the sound supporting those choices. A useful practice tone should let you hear the attack and the movement of the notes. Too much distortion can make it harder to judge both.

TGP’s ToneMD can help you explore a starting point for an Ace-inspired sound using your own equipment. Treat the result as a direction to refine with your ears and hands, rather than a promise of an exact studio match.

What to listen for when the song arrives

That returns us to the new KISS recording.

It deserves to be heard on its own terms when it arrives. Frehley’s catalog deserves the same attention: full songs, complete albums, and guitar parts heard in context.

There is room to be curious about what Stanley, Simmons, and Thayer are doing now while spending more time with the player who helped shape the band’s original musical identity.

When the new song becomes available, listen for the part you remember after it ends. That is a standard Ace understood.