This is an Album of the Week Club feature revisiting Ace, the sole album by Desperado, the short-lived band Dee Snider formed with ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr and guitarist Bernie Tormé after Twisted Sister split in 1988. Originally scheduled for release in May 1990, the blues-infused heavy metal record was shelved by Elektra as the industry pivoted towards grunge and internal tensions grew, leading to the band being dropped. It matters as a genuine "what if" of rock history, with critics arguing it could have made stars of its players had timing been kinder.

The album circulated for years as a bootleg favourite before the master tapes were recovered and it was officially released as Ace in 2006 via Angel Air/Deadline Music. Snider has described it as some of his best songwriting and the creative high point of his career to that date, praising his chemistry with Tormé and Burr's unusual vocal-led drumming style. Reviewers quoted in the piece single out tracks such as Hang 'Em High, The Maverick and The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, praising Snider's more soulful, less over-the-top vocal performance, while the piece also touches on a recent public spat between Snider and Kelly Osbourne over his legacy.