IGN.com Contraband Review

Contraband
Velvet Revolver's debut is a steady affair. That's the problem.

June 09, 2004 - Let's face it; supergroups have always been hit or miss. Why? Because more often than not the sum or their parts does not always equal success (or blazing rock god energy). For the most part band chemistry is one of those tricky things that very few folks can control. It's one of the many things in rock and roll that truly is dependent on fate, the alignment of the planets, and perhaps karma. And while one can't determine what kind of personalities will or won't have that ever desired chemistry, one this is for certain: it doesn't always carry over when a band falls apart and members leave and try to start a new career. Take the members of Stone Temple Pilots, for example, who formed the quickly forgotten Talk Show while frontman Scott Weiland was locked down in rehab in the mid-'90s. Or how about the various enterprises that former GnR peops like Slash and Duff McKagen ventured out on. Can't remember them? Don't worry neither can any but the hardcore faithful. All of which brings us to the subject of Velvet Revolver, the much hyped supergroup consisting of, yep, you guessed it, ex-members of Guns N' Roses and former STP frontman Scott Weiland, along with guitarist Dave Kushner.

The story of VR has been lingering in the music press since 2002 when Slash, McKagen, and Matt Sorum got together and jammed. They felt the sizzle of their former chemistry kicking back in and quickly began searching for the proper vocalist to accompany their blistering rock. They burned through Josh Todd (ex-Buckcherry) and Kelly Shaefer (Neurotica) before settling on everybody's favorite on-again/off-again heroin addict Scott Weiland. This incarnation hit with a cover of Pink Floyd's "Money" on the Italian Job soundtrack and then again with an original tune, "Set Me Free," on the Hulk movie soundtrack.

So, how does the newest supergroup on the block fare with their first full-length effort? Well, it's a mixed bag, to be sure. The primary positive thing is that it neither sounds like a weak imitation of GnR nor a weak imitation of STP. This can be attributed to the fact that while Slash, McKagen, and Sorum flail with familiar aplomb, they don't completely retread what they did back in the day. Sure, there's recognizable elements in Slash's grinding, rhythmic style, but thankfully no outright GnR riffs are infused for either the sake of irony or laziness. More importantly, Weiland's vocals sound nothing like they did during his STP days. Hell, he's barely recognizable (not like that other famous crooner Chris Cornell in Audioslave who sounded just like he did fronting Soundgarden while the band behind him sounded like they did when they rocked in Rage).

If there is any singular problem with Contraband it's that the entire album remains pretty much at the same level the entire time; that would be fully amped. There is very little fluctuation in the production, which tends to keep things grinding at a breakneck pace that rarely lets up. I know it seems like a cheap shot to criticize an album for being consistent, but there is such a thing as being too consistent, and Velvet Revolver suffer a bit for it.

The album literally blaze out the gate with "Sucker Train Blues" and doesn't fluctuate from the formula much after that. Said formula would be Slash's propulsive rhythm licks augmented by Kushner's grinding riffage and backed by McKagen and Sorum's steady (almost too) backbeat. The tone on "Do It For The Kids" remains high tempo, with Weiland snaking and careening his voice over Slash's riffs (that sound familiarly GnR ish; not too much, but just enough for those still fond of Appetite For Destruction). The early breakaway track, however, comes in the #3 slot. "Big Machine" is damn near brilliant, starting with grumble bass and snappy Go-Go drum beats as Weiland lets his voice wisp into the mix before turning into a snarling sneer under which Slash and Kushner lay out some mondo glam riffs that pierce, scream, and work their way under your skin. The piercing solo bursts only add to the magnetism of the track.

After this burst the album flips back to the gutter glitz and blitz on "Illegal i Song." Weiland literally screams over the juggernaut sonic undercurrent. Yet even though he's straining his chords, the music still overwhelms his voice. "Spectacle" continues the ragin thrust, it's continuation of the amplitude leaving your ears gasping for much needed air. Thankfully the breathing room comes on the very next track, which is also the linchpin of the album. Pretty much the only mid- tempo number on the album, it's a blissful reprieve that starts out sounding an awful lot like vintage Boston. Weiland's voice is damn near pristine and the musical accompaniment is, for lack of better terminology, sweet. It's one of those songs that you'll find yourself hitting "repeat" on and burning on to a mix CD. It's also the type of song that showcases VR's strengths and signals that there might be more of this to come should they stick around long enough for a sophomore effort.

Sadly, after this brilliant display the band dips back into their juggernaut mode on "Headspace," Slash and Kushner laying the riffage on thicker than extra chunky Jif. Yet for all its propulsive energy, the song still sounds a bit generic. "Superhuman" almost sounds like a long lost Alice In Chains number, if only on the mutated chorus where Weiland does his best Lane Staley snarl. Musically it's a behemoth of skirling guitars and chugging rhythms, fuzz chunked six-string blurring in the left channel and hurly-burly lickage grinding in the right channel to give your ears a flip and twist of energetic spasm.

The band's breakthrough number, "Set Me Free," is served up next. It's apparent why this track put them on the map, as it revels in turbo-charged excess. Weiland flips his voice yet again, delivering an almost cartoonish basso half-mumble on the opening verse before lifting off into the stratosphere on the extended chorus. It's probably as good as any PoMo, PoMill rock number has any right to be. The band tones it way down on the acoustic "You Got No Right," which brilliantly displays them working in slo-mo, Weiland's voice adopting a bittersweet lushness and quite literally soaring into blissful heights on the chorus. It's a mode that fits the singer well and the song's vibe adds some much needed depth to the proceedings. More numbers like this and the aforementioned "Fall To Pieces" would have greatly spiced things up and shown the band to be more adventurous and versatile than they otherwise come off.

Of course the mellow beauty is short-lived as the band immediately jumps back into the turbulent fray on "Slither," yet another grinding, surging blast of thunderstruck chugging metal mayhem. Again Weiland adopts a mock Staley growl that fits the pounding, rumbling music to a "T." The chorus is perhaps the most intoxicating portion of this otherwise somewhat generic number. Yet despite the run-of-the-mill aura surrounding it, the track still manages to invigorate and stimulate due to nothing more than sheer rock god striving exuberance.

The final two tracks on the album present the all too rare dichotomy that is Velvet Revolver. The first does what much of the album has already done. That is to say it rocks and roils with nary a split second of breathing room available. "Dirty Little Thing" is pretty much by the books, at least in terms of what you'll come to expect from Velvet Revolver. The closer, however, drops things back into slow tempo mode. "Loving The Alien" again showcases the band's softer side to wonderful results. Weiland's voice belies a gruff softness that hopefully he'll further channel on future efforts.

As I stated above, the major downfall to Contraband is that the band shows very little diversity?only three mellow songs out of a total 13?choosing instead to keep things amped to full tilt for much of the duration. And the production is pretty straight forward, as well, keeping things mixed evenly for the most part, though the guitars do tend to over power from time to time. But it's when the band lets their machismo reside in the shadows that things really begin to heat up, Weiland showcasing a voice that is both rich and commanding and Slash and Kushner unveiling some downright engaging six-string mellowness. Let's hope that the guys decide to explore this side of their persona a little bit more evenly next time around.

--Spence D.

Overall Score 6.7