Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Album Premiere: Slash, 'Apocalyptic Love' (Deluxe)

Exclusive stream of guitarist's second solo LP

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-slash-apocalyptic-love-deluxe-20120515

Listened to the album several times now, there are a few cool riffs, but the majority is very uninspired guitarwork, soulless songs (they go nowhere, like random riffs put together) and to many frizzles and stuff pushed in a song. There's no strong melody thru out a song, no catchy sing a long songs. Production's not better then the last album. You can say what you want about Snakepits but atleast Slash's guitar playing on those albums was cool and melodic, this is just boring.

Last album was imo Slash's best post GN'R work, this album's his worst..

I agree the last solo album was Slash's best work since GN'R, but disagree that this is his worst.
So far, I don't dislike any of the music, but unlike the Snakepit albums, which I like overall, Myles doesn't kill any songs for me.
I'm not sure he adds a lot, but he doesn't give me a migraine like Dover and Jackson did.
I like Myles melodies on a lot of the songs. None of the lyrics blow me away, but that's seems par for the course since he worked with Axl.
Good lyrics seems to be a lost art today anyway, so I'm not surprised. Guitar work could use some Izzy, but sounds good to me.

I've only listened to it once all the way through, so what I say next may change, but how many times has Slash made this album?  I like what Slash does typically so this doesn't bother me so much, but it'd be nice if he actually pushed himself to do something different or outside his comfort zone.  Anastasia is about the closest he gets to not parodying himself; the rest of the songs are about what you'd expect from him.  I'll buy it cuz it sounds like it'll be fun to mindlessly rock out to every now and then, but I don't find it terribly "innovative".  

Wow, tough crowd to please. If Slash pushes himself too hard, some would say they miss the old slash, when delivers some killer blues based rock licks, people say he should push himself. People go ape shit over the new van halen album, but this smokes that for me. Dave can't sing for shit.

one thing all slash & vr albums lack is the interweaving between Izzy and Slash's guitars. Left speaker, Right speaker deal. You get a glimpse of that magical sound in "Ghost" 

Slash is still playing as great as ever if not better but misses Izzy's layered guitar coolness. Throw on headphones and just listen to what Izzy is playing during "Everyone needs Love.." My Michelle for example. Nightrain, brownstone, rocket queen, easy etc

thats true with vr people said slash sounds timid and holding back which had more to do with weilands softer approach

whole CD is leaked online on what. downloaded it in about .000001 second.

I'm not going to say that this album is bad. There's not a single bad song on the record (though there are times when I've found myself cringing at how 80's something sounds). In fact, there are some quite excellent tracks on there. But for the most part, it's nothing I can get excited about because it's nothing we haven't heard from Slash before.

He just works better when he has a singer that challenges him. When he was Guns N' Roses, it might have infuriated him (like I'm sure it would infuriate a lot of people), but having a singer that wasn't going to just accept everything handed to him really pushed him to produce some of his best work. Other than the singers voices, one of the most notable differences in Snakepit was that they were just playing what they were told to play, without any quality filter. It produced a couple of albums that were passable at their best, and at their worst downright horrible.

When he was writing Contraband, he didn't know what kind of singer they were going to get, so he was forced to mix it up a bit writing in a lot of different styles until they settled on one. The finished album sounded so fresh and exciting because he successfully mixed his strengths with those of the singer they eventually got in a way he hadn't done since Use Your Illusion. It was very noticably Slash, but it was more modern, edgier. If they'd gone with some of the earlier rumoured singers, I imagine it sounding just as bad as Snakepit could - only all the time instead of just at the worst points. Of course, by the time of Libertad he was back playing whatever he wanted to. And to be fair to him, it was like the five members of the band were all writing for themselves and it didn't mesh well at all.

On his last album, he had the challenge of writing a definitive Slash album whilst at the same time writing for a wide variety of singers that all had very different styles. He really rose to that challenge and possibly showed him at the most diverse he's ever been. The singers definitely left their mark on those songs, creating an album that was varied and interesting, but all held together with that sound that is undeniably Slash.

For this album, he picked the singer on his last that most fit into his comfort zone and just forged ahead with making an album that is really just Slash doing what he's comfortable with. There's no challenge there. It's his solo project, so Myles just has to play what's given to him just like in Snakepit. The best thing I can say about it, is that Slash seems to have definitely developed his own quality filter since 'It's Five O'Clock Somewhere', so at least this album stands up when compared to his previous work. It's just quite frustrating hearing such a samey album from someone I know is capable of creating something really exciting when he puts his mind to it.

People have said that the one song that doesn't sound like typical Slash is Anastasia. At first, I agreed until I realised that the only parts that don't sound like typical Slash were the parts that were written by Johann Sebastian Bach a couple of hundred years ago. Whilst I applaud Slash for trying his hand at classical guitar and succeeding, the main riff, solo, etc. sounds just as samey.

Been listening to it to death, as I do any new album I enjoy.
I think it's a pretty solid album.  It starts off real strong, all the way through You're a Lie.
I wasn't impressed with YAL the first few times, but it's really grown on me and fits in nicely w/the rest of the album.
No More Heroes is the first song I find myself skipping. Dig the music, but lyrics bother me a bit. None of Myles lyrics really impress me that I've picked up on yet, but he doesn't really get in the way. I like his voice more in the lower registers, but overall enjoy his melodies throughout the album.
I skip Bad Rain, as that is the only song that screams 80's cheese starting w/ the song title in my opinion. Shots Fired chorus is a bit 80's cheese too, but I dig it.
Standouts for me at the moment are Apocalyptic Love, Standing in the Sun, Halo, We Will Roam and Anastasia.

The album is what I though it would be for the most part. It's a rock n roll album, and rock n roll albums are few and far between today, so I'm happy Slash enjoys making them.
I don't want to hear him try to be Jeff Beck. I guess it all comes down to expectations. If you're expecting Use Your Illusion era musicianship/creativity, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Myles is a talented guy, but he's not on Slash's level, and neither are the Conspirators. The chemistry that he had with Izzy is not something that comes along everyday. The one guy that had the capability of writing rock epics along side Slash clearly isn't an option, and I'm not sure it's realistic to assume he still could today anyway.

Slash still has it. Unfortunately good lyricists seem to be as rare as ever. That's something that Slash's post GN'R output has lacked, though I thought the singers on the first solo album did a fantastic job overall.

I think there is a good collection of songs here that will slide in nicely into the touring setlist, and I'm looking forward to seeing an amazing rock n roll show when it hits Boston.

This sums up the record for me in a nutshell.  It is not a bad album, just an unnecessary one.  What are we getting on this album that we haven't already gotten somewhere along the line with the last solo, VR or Snakepit album?  I mean if he wants to tour just tour.  I understand having to put a product out there to tour behind, but it seems that this is the sole purpose of this record.  Once again it is not bad, as really none of his stuff is bad with the exception of the first Snakepit album.

Hell no. Jeff Beck has sunk to some pretty embarrassing levels in the past. I don't want or expect Slash to completely change, personally. I just find that the best musicians grow naturally and walk a fine line between varying their sound and keeping all of the essential elements that makes it them. He's done it in the past (it disappointed some, sure, but it's what is needed to keep sounding fresh), and I know that he can do it when there's a challenge involved. Which is the only reason I get disappointed when he releases something that's so... plain. Like he's taken a step backwards.

Again, there's some excellent stuff on the record, and I'm pretty sure that after a few lessons my initial disappointment will disappear and I'll be able to enjoy it for what it is. My initial reaction, though, is one of sadness that he didn't take as any risks on this record so soon after doing something incredibly risky with his last one (it can't be easy writing an album with so many different vocalists with so many different singing style in mind, and still making it yours).

Yeah I hear you. I agree it would be great to have him working along side an equally talented singer that could help bring it to the next level, but I'm just not sure who that guy is. I knew Myles wasn't, so I guess my expectations were tempered. I'm an old fart, and I'm generally unimpressed with today's crop of rock vocalists. The only singers I can think of that still have their voices, and have proven recently they can still consistently write inspired lyrics are Chris Cornell and Mark Lanegan. I've never delved into Wolfmother's catalogue, but after hearing By the Sword was hoping they'd further explore that collaboration, though I was unimpressed w/the live performances I saw.

Unfortunately I think I've come to the point where I'm just happy if the lyrics don't completely suck.

Slash is on a really high level guitar wise at the moment. Not sure if their is an equal. His playing is badass though and that is why I like the album.

Reviews are starting to appear :)

http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/slash-apocalyptic-love-review-5-out-of-5-stars/10071876

Great review!  Awesome!

If u don't think Anastasia kicks ass, u need to stop listening to rock music and enjoy your Coldplay records.

I'm surprised he didn't give it a 10-out-of-5, I don't think Rick Florino has ever given anyone a less than great review.

That is a kick ass song, in spite of the shitty generic tame vocals. 

I couldn't get through it, reminded me too much of some of the aimless meadering of the UYI era Slash.

Ryfkm?

Aimless meandering during the illusion era :o like what, any examples?

Nope, not kidding.


Not song specific really, the longer/overblown crap in general from those records - just not my thing.

Like Don't Damn me, Coma, DTJ & Locomotive? Damn I love Slash's playing in those songs

yeah it totally did that for me to, i happen to think the Illusions were Slash's best work so I didn't mind it but i can see how it turns some people off. 

It is definitely not a well structured song.  There is no need for that thing to be clocking in over 6 minutes.

I love the live jam out song... True, its basically a cool classical thing with a couple versus, choruses, then some monster riffage and soloing surrounding it, see DTJ, Estranged, PC,RQ, SCOM, etc that have a ton of solo time.  I love it.

All the above ...and more, not a fan of that era at all.

I see. Me personally as a fan of guitar I can't get enough of endless wanking. as a fan of Buckethead & Marty Friedman

Eddie Van Halen supposedly sounds amazing live these days.  And his playing on "A Different Kind of Truth" is kick ass.  He too is sober now, as far as I know.  Goes to show you.

Eddie and Slash both have average singers.  Roth has no range at all anymore.

that doesn't matter when you have the dude who practically invented the term "front man" singing for your band.  I saw Van Halen at the Garden, they were great.  Never in a million years would I ever lump DLR in with Myles Kennedy.

I've never understood this. UYI constitutes almost 50% of the band's output. This is the only band I can think of where people dislike nearly half of the band's material, but still bother to post in their forums. :-\
Not saying you're wrong to not be a fan of that stuff, but it just confuses me.

I suppose what I respect about Beck is that he really doesn't care what you or anyone else think, he will follow his muse, so to speak.  Don't get me wrong, I  enjoy Slash's sound (for the most part), but it's not like I'm going to be wanting to play his albums to anyone who is not a fan, though I am hopeful that one day that may change. 

That said, with every release it becomes increasingly obvious that he falls into the ACDC or Ramones territory in that he has one aesthetic that he goes for and will very likely stay that way unless someone pushes him to do something different (VR or GnR). 

yeah it confuses me too.  I don't think I would be as big a Guns N Roses fan without the "Illusions."  "Appetite" certainly couldn't have gotten me through the wait for "Chinese Democracy" that is for sure.

This is straying off topic, but I really hate how GNR and Slash's  legacy centers around "Appetite."  I am a much bigger fan of the "Use Your Illusion" set than "Appetite" especially lyrically and guitar wise.  Don't get me wrong "Appetite" is a great record and I see its commercial appeal being greater than the "Illusions" as the songs are simpler and easier to get into.  The "Illusions" is kind of like "CD" where it takes an investment from the listener to really appreciate everything that is going on. 

Yea I dont get it either. Appetite hada lot of slash "noodling" look at sweet child 4 major riffs  solos in one song alone yet the album is heralded as possibly the greatest rock record of alltime. Slashoverplaying on the illusions is just a dillusional statement