![]() Nothing is over excessive on this album, it is all amazingly tight and hits the mark on pretty much every track. Flowing between levels of density beautifully segues into a dual guitar interlude before repeating the chorus that lets Kennedy’s vocal performance find notes that melds with Slash’s playing that closes out the track with haunting effect.Ĥ is done and dusted in just under 45 minutes but it feels like much deeper listening experience. Increasing intensity leads to a reprise of the aforementioned melody figure under the chorus. Abruptly changing to a clean, phased guitar sound for the verse offers space for Kennedy’s vocals to shine. Fall Back to Earth is a swirling track that quickly climbs to an all-encompassing melody guitar line. Kennedy quickly reaches the soaring chorus and, being recorded live, you can hear Slash trilling between guitar pickup, playing the solo with amazing dexterity, adding some twists to more traditional rock and roll licks.Ĭoncluding the album with a song that is almost six and half minutes on a generally taught album is as epic as expected. A wall of sound ensues with Call Off the Dogs as the rhythm figure changes as the verse kicks in, accompanied by a rock-attitude drenched riff from Slash. Imitators rarely pick up on that aspect of Slash’s box of signature guitar tricks. The guitar tone has serious bite, especially in the solo, where Slash drops in some nuanced country guitar licks. On the very Guns N’ Roses styled track, April Fool, Slash leans into the riff as the band hit the chordal accents in time. The pace is suitably mesmerising to allow the riff to flow and whilst Kennedy is impressive here, Slash’s solo is reminiscent of the ‘snake-charming’ passages of Ritchie Blackmore, with a Dick Dale level of aggression, a slew of speedy trills and a touch of neoclassical counterpoint to end with a fiery tremolo picked lick. Another album highlight is the funky, Zeppelin styled Spirit Love, complete with a fuzzy bassline and the wondrous brilliance of an electric sitar played through a Marshall stack. The chord progression that combines elements of blues and rock standards, melding into a descending rhythm interlude before another vibrato filled guitar solo. The wah-wah pedal gets a workout on the track Actions Speak Louder than Words. In other words, classic Slash, with a taste of Southern rock. The next track, The Path Less Followed, is a more vocal driven piece but the soloing again uses an array of Slash’s signature techniques such as large bends and nifty picking of passing notes between intervals. Plenty of musical tension and release at play here.Ĭ’est la Vie is one of several album highlights with Slash employing a talk box to enhance a tasty guitar riff. Kennedy dips into a touch of falsetto whilst Slash summons his best urgent sounding, Jimmy Page influenced guitar soloing. Time Will Tell is equally captivating with rock attitude, sustained chords, and accented notes bolstering a chorus. Throughout, Kennedy’s melodic vocal delivery has a projection and range that few can match in the hard rock and blues rock world. The band is superbly tight as different parts segue, launching into a double time barrage as Slash either solos or synchronises variations of riffs with Sidoris. Bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz move the song with a John Bonham level of groove. The River is Rising kicks off the album in swaggering rock style as Slash unleashes an octave alternating, tremolo picked riff. Of the band, only rhythm guitarist Frank Sidoris did not contract COVID-19 during the recording sessions, but even with the challenges that the pandemic presented, perseverance was rewarded, as the end result is a spectacular album with a great sense of spontaneity. The working relationship between Slash and Cobb stemmed from a mutual admiration for legendary producer Glyn Johns and while there’s undeniable links to Zeppelin in the final product, hints of country guitar stylings are also evident in some of Slash’s remarkable guitar solos.Īs the album was recorded mostly live, it was quick work, with only a few tracks needing Kennedy to add vocals from quarantine. ![]() The vast majority of the tracks on the album were put down at the historic RCA Studio A, which was co-founded by late country music guitar legend, Chet Atkins. With the intentionally simple title 4, Slash and his cohorts recorded in Nashville, with Grammy winning producer Dave Cobb, as opposed to Los Angeles for previous work. Byron Bay Bluesfest 2022 Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah NSW.Full Tilt Festival Brisbane Eatons Hill Hotel, Brendale QLD.Caligula’s Horse The Metro Social, Sydney NSW.Antagonist A.D.: Through Fire All Things are Renewed.
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