2007.05.DD - Total Guitar - All Guns Blazing (Slash)

All Guns Blazing

Velvet Revolver return with new album and Slash says: "It's ear candy for the guitar aficionado!"

Slash and the Velvet Revolver boys are set for a sensational return with the release of their second album Libertad next month. The legendary guitarist has told TG to expect big things from the follow-up to the band's debut album Contraband: "Scott sounds amazing on this record, and Matt plays the best I've ever heard him play. Kushner came to the table with two songs and a guitar arsenal, and Duff played amazing... Oh and I thought I played pretty good too."

On past form, Slash's modest 'pretty good' looks like it's going to be the understatement of the year, and he admits to us he really got the blues on this 13-song album - in a good way: "I spent the time from August last year until the record was finished listening to nothing but old blues records. I rediscovered the blues - it was almost like it was new for me, and that had an effect on the way I played. I was in that zone."

But this ain't no laid-back affair. Translated from Spanish, 'Libertad' means freedom and the band certainly do things their way on the new release: "It's more upbeat than Contraband," reveals Slash. "There's a lot of really in-your-face moments like She Builds Quick Machines, Spay and Let It Roll, which is probably the most aggressive song on the record. There are departures, like Grave Dancers, but every song has its moments and even that has an aggressive blues solo at the end. There's a lot of wah on this record too."

You should expect changed in the dynamic between Slash and guitar partner in crime, Dave Kushner. "The big difference between this record and the last one is I was very aware of where Dave's parts are, because they've become key to the songs. Some of them are almost like vocal parts, and sometimes I use them to signal where I'm going to go. It's ear candy for the guitar aficionado."

Libertad will be released on May 28 and UK Fans can look forward to hearing the new songs when the band play the following dates in June" Hammersmith Apollo (5), Cardiff International Arena (7) Download Festival (8), Glasgow SECC (10), Manchester Apollo (11).

https://www.belowempty.com/articles.php?cat=featuring_stp&band=velvet_revolver&type=&p=2007&s=story&id=255