Slash - Living The Dream (2018)

With this Guns N' Roses reunion still going strong, it is easy to forget that Slash actually have a fully functioning solo project together with Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy and his Conspirators. The project was on a roll when they had to force a hiatus, gaining a respectable slew of fans and a steady flow of radio air time. Now that the guitarist with the sunglasses, nose ring, and top hat turns his focus back to make his fourth solo album, it might be that his old band is still on his mind.

Yes, I might be crazy in saying that "Living The Dream" might be the true follow up to the two "Use Your Illusion" albums that fans have been waiting for so long. Not to say that any of the three previous Slash records (or any other album from his Snakepit or Velvet Revolver) did not have a vein of Guns N' Roses in them, but this records feels a little more wild and raw than what we have previously heard from this constellation. Some songs like "My Antidote" have this attitude to it that is just so confident, which is certainly very reminiscent of good old GNR.

"Living The Dream" is otherwise not much of a surprise if you have followed Slash in recent years. It is catchy ass rock with a lot of sweet guitar riffs and licks all over the place, but not to the degree where it becomes full on guitar wanking, it stays just under the acceptable levels. Take a song like "Sugar Cane" for example, where Slash just cram in a lot of meaty guitar gymnastics in, but it never takes away from the other guys and their effort (especially Myles Kennedy, who is his usual magnificent self), therefore we get a groovy and catchy song that spices up the otherwise sluggish second half. The balance in this album is really on point, from start to finish.

Even if the slower songs on the records help balance it all out, those songs are still the weakest of the records. The main problem is that they are not memorable at all, you forget about them as soon as they are over, which is a big disadvantage in an album that is filled with catchy tracks like "The Call of The Wild" and "Mind Your Manners". Despite Myles' brilliant vocal performance, these songs are mostly luke warm, not adding too much to elevate. Yeah, so do not expect a new "Civil War" or "Don't Cry" in here, or else you will be disappointed.

Fortunately, we got enough rock power in here to last some time, all adding up to one of the more complete Slash records so far, giving "Apocalyptic Love" a true run for its money. This is through and through a really enjoyable record, showing a guy who is doing exactly what the album title says, just enjoying himself and pouring that enjoyment all over us in CD/LP/streaming format. I can't believe I am saying this, but this album has actually made me excited for a possible Guns N' Roses album in the future, because Slash is on a roll.

Songs worthy of recognition: Mind Your Manners, The Call of The Wild, My Antidote, Slow Grind

Rating: 8/10 Sugar Canes

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World On Fire

Slash - World On Fire (2014)

It is pretty safe to say that Saul "Slash" Hudson has had a pretty successful career. From founding Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver to guest appear in a Super Bowl half-time show, the man in the top hat has made himself a name for his guitar skills and his stage presence. And since he joined forces with Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, Slash has done some great things on his solo albums.

"World On Fire" is album number 3 for Slash (the second one featuring Myles & The Conspirators), and to no one's surprise, "World On Fire" is a album that is filled with good clean rock where Slash and his guitar playing is on the center stage. And when I say it is filled, I really mean it. "World On Fire" consists of 17 tracks and has a total play time of 1 hour and 17 minutes. Two numbers that is way too large for most listeners, and even for yours truly. It is nice to see that Slash has a lot of inspiration and so, but that does not mean that he can cram in every single song he wrote into one album. Slash really needs to learn how to "kill his darlings" so the album doesn't suffocate under all these tracks, or he just needs to save them for a future album.

One upside with having 17 songs to chose from, is that it is not that hard to find at least 2 or 3 songs to find a liking to (if you have the stamina to listen through the entire album). Some of you will probably prefer the Soundgarden vibes in "Wicked Stone", or perhaps the technical and swinging "Beneath The Savage Sun" is closer to your musical taste. Maybe the slow, but heavy ending song "The Unholy" speaks to you, or the fast and catchy opening title track. There is a lot of different styles and types of songs to chose from in "World On Fire", so it is just up to you to search through it and find your favourites.

Then there is also the fact that it is extremely hard to make a huge album without cutting corners with some fillers. The low point of this album is still fairly high, but it has its weak spots. The instrumental track "Safari Inn" does not add anything useful to the album while songs like "Bent To Fly" and "Battleground" just makes me bored. Fortunately, the fillers is a minority in "World On Fire", which makes the album much more enjoyable than what it could have been.

The big question however is if this so called bromance has already taken its toll, that it has already reached its high note. I think it is too early to tell right now, but since both "Apocalyptic Love" and "World On Fire" was such huge albums and that they had the same type of music, it is no wonder that one could be fearing that Slash will not get much more out of this cooperation. I would definitely love to see Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators in Slash's next solo album since they are very skilled in what they do and they seem to enjoy working with the main man, but I would not be surprised if Slash had found new henge men to cooperate with to the next album.

The huge play time and a loss of dynamics makes "World On Fire" inferior to its predecessor "Apocalyptic Love", but that doesn't mean that Slash, Myles and The Conspirators has made a bad album. "World On Fire" is still a good album for those who search for good hard rock with nice and unique riffs. It may not set my world on fire, but this album certainly makes me warm inside of the goodness it brings.

Songs worthy of Recognition: World On Fire, Beneath The Savage Sun, The Unholy

Rating: 7/10 Avalons

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Living The Dream