Review Summary: Not the 2nd coming of Appetite for Destruction, but a damn good, fun rock n' roll record.
Slash had lived one hell of a life. Between the drugs, sex, rock n' roll of Guns N' Roses, and the drama of Velvet Revolver, it's no wonder that the man was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy over a decade ago. To this day, he still walks around with a defibrillator in his chest. My point is, Saul Hudson has dealt with so much bull*** that it's a wonder he even wants to tour anymore or write new music. Of course the money plays a part, but at some point you think the man would get tired of the "rock star" life.
However, he has instead embarked on a solo career that started out with the all-star record that was his self-titled debut. Two songs on said album, "Back From Cali" and "Starlight" featured the vocal talents of one Myles Kennedy, singer for Alter Bridge. After working with Kennedy on those tracks, Slash decided to first tour with Myles as his singer, then formed a band with Kennedy. Billed as Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators, the group released their debut album Apocalyptic Love.
Apocalyptic Love is thirteen tracks of quintessential Slash: hard rock n' roll with a dynamic vocalist singing over the top. Tracks like the opening title track come out and punch you in the gut, but don't stick around for too long. "One Last Thrill" is lean and almost punky, while "Standing In The Sun" is grungy. In terms of punching, "Halo" lands the hardest blow here. It's three & a half minutes of driving rock n' roll. The formula on Apocalyptic Love is a simple one: rock. Apocalyptic Love does bear a bit of funkiness in tracks like the title song and "Bad Rain". A couple of tracks harken back to the glory days of GNR, "Hard & Fast" and "Shots Fired".
Most of Apocalyptic Love fits comfortably into the golden radio format of three to four minutes a song. However, Slash and co. stretch their legs on a couple of tracks. "Anastasia" is six minutes of swagger that opens with a classically-inspired guitar lick, before the main riff comes in. Yes, it sounds hell of a lot like "Paradise City", but who says an artist can't slightly rip themselves off once in a while, especially when the song is this good? The track immediately following "Anastasia" is the dark bluesy song "Not For Me". The song is moody, complimenting Kennedy's lyrics about drug addiction.
Speaking of Kennedy, he's still himself on Apocalyptic Love. He does take on a slightly more classic rock approach to his stylings on Apocalyptic Love, but otherwise Myles is still Myles. If you enjoy listening to Myles sing as much as I do, Apocalyptic Love is a chance to hear him sing over some bitchin' rock n' roll. If you don't enjoy listening to Myles sing, Apocalyptic Love will just turn you off.
Apocalyptic Love is the same old song and dance. What I mean is, it's the Slash you would expect to hear: raw, fuzzy rock n' roll. He's not suddenly going to start playing jazz. If you're a fan of the rest of Slash's career, Apocalyptic Love is your jam. If not, Slash isn't going to suddenly convert you. At this point, he's purely making music with a group of friends because he enjoys it. Apocalyptic Love is by no means perfect, and if you expected anything close to Appetite for Destruction, you will be sorely disappointed. The heyday of Guns N' Roses was a one-shot thing for all involved, Slash included. However, the man does not dwell on past glories, instead he is enjoying his new creative venture in the here and now.
At the end of the day, reviewing any album is ultimately subjective. Yes, you can be as objective as all heck, but if you don't like the record, you don't like it. I really like Apocalyptic Love, and if nothing else I ask you to give it a chance. No, Apocalyptic Love isn't all "hip" like any number of indie bands today, but it's a damn fun record to listen to from start to finish.
