Slash & Friends

For his latest solo test, Slash chose multiple collaborations. Thus one finds Ian Atsbury (The Cult), Ozzy, Fergie (Black Eyed Peas), Myles Kennedy (Cosmic Dust, Citizen Swing, The Mayfield Four, Alter Bridge), Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave), Andrew Stockdale (Wolfmother) Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Lemmy (Hawkwind), Dave Grohl & Duff McKagan (for single instrumental), Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold, Metal Core group of California), Kid Rock, Rocco DeLuca (artist stuck between a rock Alternative Rock and Blues evoking Jeff Buckley, Chris Whitley and Plant), and Iggy Pop.
So many people, sometimes disparate backgrounds, for an album that sometimes takes patchwork-like.
Slash, meanwhile, nevertheless, avoids through the megalomaniac rock star and / or egocentric, by not pull the blanket to him, so as not to spoil the compositions. The solos are mixed too forward (not excessively) and are relatively short, to keep the efficiency, and musicality. This did not prevent his Les Paul to have, logically, a prominent place; and headphones to discover work out of guitarist. The songs are the result of full cooperation. Thereby providing a relatively wide range, with the theme, of course, the Heavy-Rock incendiare Saul Hudson. The downside is that the whole sometimes lacks cohesion, in part because of some mean titers, and an order of songs not always wise.

Paradoxically, these are securities with the less illustrious guests, or the most surprising, that prove to be most successful, the most interesting; because most of the most enticing collaborations on paper (Ozzy, Wolfmother, Grohl, Iggy) have not borne fruit (too standarisé, including Ozzy and Iggy).
Thus, the most successful are, in chronological order:
- "Ghost" with Atsbury in a style, not surprisingly, between The Cult and Guns (very good introduction);
- "Beautiful Dangerous" with Fergie, not amazing, but an interesting mix between Black Sabbath, Kid Rock, Ratt, and something of The Cutt Paul Shortino (could make a hit in the US);
- "Back from Cali", with Myles Kennedy (including the stamp may be similar to that of Chris Cornell), big and powerful hard rock US;
- "Promise" with Cornell, issue a melodic heavy rock, melancholic tones, can recall the 2sd Audioslave;
- "Gotten" with Levine, superb Pop-rock ballad disenchanted with discrete section of strings.
- "Hold On" with Kid Rock, Heavy-Rock ballad modestly supported between Aerosmith, Great-White and Little Caesar (some intonations Rock here are very similar to that of Ron Young). Small flat on a solo reminiscent of Guns;
- "Starlight", again with Kennedy (the singer's tour Slash and which will soon incorporate Velvet Revolver) between Nu-Metal and melodic and powerful Heavy-Rock.
- "Saint is a sinner too," with Deluca, acoustics as walking on the land of Jeff Buckley, with still more successful at singing.
Both titles with Kennedy are close enough to the album "One Day Remains" Alter Bridge.

A disc that appears to have been done, just for fun to record with some friends of the California coast. Moreover, in the booklet, the names of contributors are seeing much more, as the titles of compositions.

A disc that definitely divide; some will cry genius, others fall on him tooth and nail, while some will fight to defend their favorite titles. A record that, a priori ignored the commercial obligations (no TV or radio format - some mention "Gotten"), thus giving it a friendly sincerity.
Attention few listens are necessary to appreciate its true value.
(3.5 / 5)