Slash Apocalyptic Love 2012

Apocalyptic Love is another exercise from Slash musical journey. Slash companion here are Alter Bridge's singer Myles Kennedy, the drummer Brent Fitz (Vince Neil, Alice Cooper) and bassist Todd Kern (Age of Electric) and then captained by Eric Valentine as producer and sound engineer. Although we expect a super guest in this album, there were no notable appearance and this album close as a band work rather than just Slash inviting he or she. This is maybe a little bit disappointing but on other hand a good sign as this work supposedly a solid band works. As the most successful guitarist on our era right now, we burden Slash with quite a high expectation.

Take only a year to finish, we are now handed a package of 13 songs and an hour of listening. Slash is a big brand of guitarist in this era. The media had crucified him with the fix image that equivalent to every male holding a (Gibson) guitar in hand. His work with Guns N' Roses of course the main responsibility of this. But after Slash's Snakepit, Velvet Revover and previous first Slash solo album, we are await of something that rated Slash as the same name with Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page on every list of top ten guitarist. Are we going to have this decade of Sweet Child O' Mine or Nightrain? Well, on quick examination, we got none. But this is more about Slash orientation on this album is not to create a masterpiece ala Chinese Democracy but just a fun rock album with friends (or legally called The Conspirators for his backing band).

So with that in mind, let's just listen to it. Apocalyptic Love starting, and I love it main riff. The riff downgrade the seriousness a lot and we enter the fun mode rather than expecting above the cloud music. Myles Kennedy vocal automatically the main focus, and he did the job well. His vocal lead us to the faithful 90s feel. The second song, One Last Thrill is modern fast hard rock composition. The third song is a little tribute to Slash nostalgic Appetite era, Standing in the Sun comes with Paradise City resembling chops. Then we get into the middle part of album that present songs that are just catchy and crunchy riff over the song. Anastasia is most unique here with Slash playing neo classical stuff, on first listening there a bit of hope Slash would do an instrumental track, but it's not.

There is no epic song in the vibe of November Rain or Estranged. The short song also very much no Rocket Queen formula. Which maybe distinguished how Guns N' Roses is no easy stuff to imitate. Slash solo is actually even much diverse here than his Guns N' Roses year. The guitar tune is need to praise for its crunchy and clean sound designation. Of course this is much due to the song are now more simple hard rock or punk rock. Nevertheless the solo still top notch and very enjoyable. This album need to listen without the need to attribute Slash as media version of god of guitar at this moment.

Metal Harem class: ******* 7 stars out of 10

Slash Apocalyptic Love 2012
Emi Records - Buy it here

1. Apocalyptic Love
2. One Last Thrill
3. Standing in the Su
4. You're a Lie
5. No More Heroes
6. Halo
7. We Will Roam
8. Anastasia
9. Not for Me
10. Bad Rain
11. Hard & Fast
12. Far and Away
13. Shots Fired

Slash- Guitars
Myles Kennedy - Vocals , rhythm guitar
Todd Kerns - Bass, Backing Vocals
Brent Fitz – Drums

Apocalyptic Love Cover Album art