Review Summary: Ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash releases his solo debut effort and regardless of your stance on Axl Rose, this is not a record you want to miss.
When this album is released, I hope people are able to look past the Axl Rose vs. Slash feud and enjoy this record for what it is. In an age where Pop music has stolen the top spots on the charts, let's take whatever chance we can get at enjoying what some consider "real" music.
What I like about this album is that it is consistently strong throughout. Nearly every track delivers, with only a few fillers. However, If you're the type of listener that dislikes songs that seem out of place on a record, you may have a bit of an issue here. One of rock's greatest guitarists collaborating with Fergie? Some may disapprove. It doesn’t seem like Slash to collaborate with commercial artists such as Fergie and Kid Rock, but even with collaborations as odd as those, the songs hold their own.
I'll be honest - I'm not familiar with a few of these guest artists, such as Ian Austbury and Izzy Stradlin, but they and Slash start this album off on a strong note with a track titled “Ghost”. When the first main riff kicked in I was convinced and was expecting big things from the rest of the album.
The next few tracks are excellent as well. The third track, “Beautiful Dangerous” features Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas. Now when I first heard Slash would be collaborating with her, I wasn’t expecting anything note-worthy. But the Fergie we get on this track is not the Fergie you'd find in the mainstream disaster known as the Black Eyed Peas. Her vocals compliment Slash's guitar work beautifully. After hearing this track, it makes me wonder what it would be like if Fergie embraced this style of singing as a career. Instead, we're here waiting for The E.N.D. Volume 2. Fantastic.
By the fifth track, we run into some (at least in my opinion) filler. “Promise”, (feat. Chris Cornell) is a forgettable track and probably won't make it to my iPod. I'm not afraid of over-listening to it and making it boring because the first listen did that for me. Thankfully, this and "Gotten" (feat. Adam Levine) are the only two tracks I would consider to be filler.
This may be the Alter Bridge fan-boy in me speaking, but in my opinion, the tracks featuring Myles Kennedy (“Back From Cali” & “Starlight”) are the highlights of the album. He's a very talented singer, perfect for a record like this. I’ve heard some people compare Myles to Axl Rose, but I think it’s safe to just stay off that road. He’s Myles Kennedy; let’s enjoy the music.
Another gem on this record is near the end, with “Nothing to Say” featuring M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold. Slash considers it to possibly be the best track Shadows has done. The palm-muted verses are a very nice touch to the song and compliment Shadows’ vocal style.
This record, while not perfect, is still astonishing and I don't think it will disappoint any fan. This is an album that runs through my head when I'm not listening to it. The songs are memorable, for the most part. If you can excuse the few filler tracks and admire the gems, this is definitely a record you can get into.
Recommended Tracks
Crucify the Dead
Beautiful Dangerous
Back from Cali
Nothing to Say
Starlight
