So now we know: Axl Rose is an eccentric artist who had a vision of hard rock and twenty odd years later gave the world one of the great, overlooked metal albums of all times, Chinese Democracy. And his former guitarist Slash is an idiot.
I think Slash recorded Slash so we could all miss the good ol days of Velvet Revolver. He brought together lead vocalists Ian Astbury, Ozzy, Fergie, Lemmy, Kid Rock, Adam Levine, Iggy Pop (for fucks sake) and forgot to write any songs.
Just one piece of useless riffarama: scream a vocal, cut to the guitar break, on to the next one. Levine -of Maroon 5, is saddled with the worst power ballad (“So nice to see your face, tell me how long has been, since you’ve been here…” that’s isn’t a lyric, it’s an email) known to man. Set opener has Astbury intoning “rock and roll” in all seriousness and it’s all downhill from there. screams about rock (har bloody har -these guys wouldn’t know rock if it bit them in the crotch -which it should). Ozzy is going on about the devil. Fergie is completely wasted.
Oh, and let’s congratulate Slash on making Iggy Pop sound emaciated on the completely ridiculous album closer “We’re All Gonna Die” (“so let’s get high” -some people never learn).
The only person who gets away with his reputation in tact is Kid Rock with a fine vocal on a lousy song.
As for Slash: before you bad mouth Axl Rose you better answer the question as to what you have to offer. Your playing is all technique to no end, your songs are rancid hard rock cliches and your album an atrocity. Follow your true calling and become a session man because, based on this product, you were only ever Axl’s sideman.