SLASH feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Living The Dream (2018)
SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators will release their new album titled “Living The Dream” on September 21. This is Guns N’ Roses guitarist fourth solo album, and third with his The Conspirators bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris – guitar, backing vocals.
Despite a four year wait since we were last graced with a record from Slash and Co., the man has not been lazing around practicing pulling rabbits out of top hats. No, the legendary guitarist rejoined Guns N’ Roses and has been around the world a few times over, breaking tour records while he does it.
But, he was adamant to get back to making a third record with Kennedy & The Conspirators, stating “I always planned on getting back together with the Conspirators as soon as possible, and continuing on with what we started,” and he remained true to his word.
Opening tracks “The Call Of The Wild” and “Serve You Right” are straight up, good ol’ Rock n’ Roll tunes plenty of high octane riffing coupled with soaring vocals in a typical Slash / The Conspirators fashion.
Third track change the focus a little. “My Antidote” is a riff ripping, tempo fluctuating, wah-pedal riddled good time. It would come as little surprise if it were to eventually be disclosed as having been hand picked from the Velvet Revolver vault as it embodies the same raw, rebellious spirit of the once supergroup.
“Mind Your Manners” is perfectly named, but for mine it’s because listeners will be hard pressed not to be shouting profanity in pure glee as you spin around the room, moshing and rocking your way through this mighty number. Go on, you just try and sit still. Impossible.
Next, “Lost Inside The Girl” teeters between big, beautiful ballad and dramatic longing to wonderful impact. With its love song chorus bringing life to its dark, brooding yet addictive verses, you will find this track entering the realm of the repeat button before long.
“Read Between The Lines” lifts you skyward again with its bluesy drive and sections of creeping doom and foreboding, albeit with Myles shining again like the shimmering star he truly is.
There is simply no other contender for album standout, as it is rightly and tenderly claimed by “The One You Loved Is Gone”. Kennedy is not only at some of his lyrical best here, but the singers stripped back, even somber approach to his vocal delivery conveys the heart of the song in a way that only he can. All topped off with (though one of many) a solo from Slash that unmistakably comes from the gut.
Musically, the unsung heroes found in the Conspirators, comprised of bassist Tod Kerns, drummer Brent Fitz, and making his record debut after years of live work with the band, rhythm guitarist Frank Sidoris, make up a strong, integral backbone to the song and album overall.
“Living The Dream” is a collection of songs far more perfect than we could possibly have possibly hoped. Slash and his Conspirators have crafted their best album to date here, every track a hit, every note a celebration and yet another step skyward for this band.
The perfect producer for an album of this magnitude could be none other than long-time collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette, capturing the song’s essence resulting in a killer set of heavy rock’s finest.
Where “Living The Dream” excels is in not in its batch of straightforward hard rock, but in its less structured, brave sonic scope. And luckily, there is a handsome amount of exactly that, and so the top hat axeman strikes yet again.
HIGHLY Recommended
01. The Call Of The Wild
02. Serve You Right
03. My Antidote
04. Mind Your Manners
05. Lost Inside The Girl
06. Read Between The Lines
07. Slow Grind
08. The One You Loved Is Gone
09. Driving Rain
10. Sugar Cane
11. The Great Pretender
12. Boulevard Of Broken Hearts
Myles Kennedy – lead vocals
Slash – lead and rhythm guitars
Todd Kerns – bass, backing vocals
Brent Fitz – drums, percussion, electric piano
Frank Sidoris – guitar, backing vocals
Pre Order:
www.amazon.de/Living-Dream-Myles-Conspirators-Kennedy/dp/B07FDQRKJM/
.
