FedeRock (10/10)

First of all let me start this review by telling you a little story. I loved music all my life, I play Piano since the age of 4 but when I saw GNR's "November Rain" video at the age of 10 and saw Slash play his amazing solo out of the chapel I knew that is what I want do with my life. Slash to me is like a god! Just like on the episode of South Park but I can assure you that he's real! Anyway, since I might be Slash's biggest fan, I'm also his biggest critic! So don't think I'm going to be over nice in this review.

Slashmade his first album with top session musicians and the best Rock singers ever like OZZY, LEMMY, IGGY POP and Myles Kennedy that was an unknown singer to Slash, but after working with him on two songs "Back From Cali" and "Starlight" Slash saw Myles's hunger and potential and took him to the road to perform songs from all Slash's career. The live band became Slash's studio and real band while Myles wrote all the lyrics to the album. Producer Eric Valentine that worked with Slash also on his first solo album knows exactly what Slash wants from his music and gets it. In my opinion this is the best sounding record of the last decade!

And now, I can start talking about the album. This album was recorded live and it is definitely heard. Duo guitars one on the left, one on the right, bass, drums and Myles's vocals at the front. The sound of the record as it was on Slash's debut solo album "SLASH" is very dynamic, open, big and raw. Right from the first song and album's title, "Apocalyptic Love", you can hear that these guys love Rock And Roll!! Slash's guitar sound and riffs are amazing, the rhythm section is tight as hell and Myles sings really good even though there are some parts where he's trying too hard to imitate Mr. Axel Rose for the obvious reason. The album is just a raw Rock & Roll listener with great choruses, great riffs and vocals and that's it. Slash is not trying to reinvent the wheel, he's just having fun. There are two songs that are kind of different from what Slash usually does. "Halo" is a magnificent hit with a Triplet feel a big chorus that would make you get up and dance plus the out of this world guitar solo. The other song is "Anastasia" that starts with a classical guitar part and samples Bach's toccata and fugue in D minor but with the SLASH touch.

In conclusion "Apocalyptic Love" is a simple funRock N' Roll album, if you want to drive in your car and listen to great music, make love to your girl or just listen to good old R&R this is the album for you. And once again Slash shows us that he's still relevant, fresh and keeps it real, a true guitar hero!!!

Rebecca Miller (9/10)

Slash's first solo album was pretty awesome, to be fair. And yes, my favourite songs from it were the ones Myles Kennedy guested on. So you can imagine how excited I was when I found out there was to be a whole album of Slash and Myles (and the CONSPIRATORS!). And let me say this - it certainly did not disappoint...as you may have gathered from my rating.

"Apocalyptic Love" starts off very lively, with the title track. Now, I've been a fan of Myles for a while now - I love both ALTER BRIDGE and THE MAYFIELD FOUR - but the first thing that strikes you when listening to this album is how unique this collaboration is. It sounds nothing like Myles' previous bands, but it also sounds nothing like Slash's previous bands, even taking into consideration his signature (and very easily recognizable) guitar work. And that's what makes it really stand out to me - that Myles can have such a unique voice, and Slash is, well, Slash, and they can produce something unlike you've ever heard before. But you'll have to forgive me if I sound like a rabid fan girl, I admire these two men a hell of a lot, so this album is something quite special, at least to me. The variety of songs here is excellent as well, you might think that it'd just be a way for Slash to keep showing off his skills, but it's not all about him, as evidenced by whose names are on the front cover of the album. This is obviously a team effort, and all of the individual efforts show through on every track.

It goes without saying that Myles' vocals are simply majestic here. From the heavier tracks like "One Last Thrill" (possibly my personal favourite) and "Hard And Fast" to the softer side of the album with "Far And Away", Myles' amazing range covers it all. He's on absolute top form here, and the reason I love his voice so much is how much emotion and power he puts into it, which is displayed perfectly on the album. Myles' rhythm guitar is also very good, and is also a skill he has shown off with ALTER BRIDGE. I probably don't need to tell you much about Slash, but just in case you've been living under a rock for the past 30 years or so, he's one of the most well known guitarists in the world, and is good at well, pretty much everything if it involves shredding. Riffs, hooks, solos - you name it, he owns it. And "Apocalyptic Love" is no exception. Some people might think that by this time in his careerSlash might simply be going through the motions, but it really does come through that he still loves what he does, and he does it amazingly well. Something else he does well is choosing his 'Conspirators'. Todd Kern's bass playing is really very good, and his backing vocals are definitely up to the job - as daunting as a task that might be, he copes admirably, and proves a worth counterpart to Myles' vocals. Brent Fitz's drumming is top notch - very clean, very tight, and adds a whole lot to all of the songs.

So I guess you could say that I love this album, and I do, yeah, can't deny it. But when you've got four absolutely awesome musicians coming together to make one epic album, there's no wonder I was anticipating "Apocalyptic Love" with such intensity. And not only did it not disappoint, but it surpassed every expectation I had.