If you talk about big names in the world of rock, you cannot not mention SLASH and his super group he called Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. They were formed back in 2011 and released their first and highly acclaimed album "Apocalyptic Love" in 2012 followed up in 2014 by the successful "World on Fire". Four years later, we are once again treated with another excellent one, entitled "Living the Dream". Since GUNS 'N ROSES reunited, the band had been on a massive world tour; but that doesn't stop SLASH from writing material for his band, completing eleven tracks averaging three minutes and 30 seconds in length.

The sound of the album is just exactly the kind of rock we love - energetic vocals, sharp guitars, booming drums and sing along-able tunes. Those things are exactly what they injected in the opener "Call of the Wild" together with its catchy chorus which then will serve as the anchor of the rest of the tracks. Headbanging and dancing are what "My Antidote" would basically give the listener having a quite heavy and chuggy intro of drums and guitars until revealing a rather mid-paced singing. SLASH's solo parts are always things of beauty but in the solo of this song he delivered it in a fast, razor-sharp and mind blowing way into the final iteration of its anthemic chorus.

The album also has a mood swing, which can be seen in the track "Lost inside the Girl" with a slower tempo and an emotional content. Although played in a bit slower tempo, it never lost the excitement that it gives the listener and still rocks big time. The transition in between the guitar passages is flawless while keeping a fine line between lonely and energetic grooves. This is not the only emotional song in the album, in fact, there is a slow rock/rock ballad in the record, called "The One You Loved is Gone". There, everything is, simply put, emotional and heart-felt - right from the lonely sound of the guitar intro, into Myles' singing. As for me, I always loved hearing power ballads every once in a while. And in times when I'm not busy annoying my neighbors with my DRAGONFORCE CDs, sending motherfucking invitations via LAMB OF GOD or trying to summon the devil with BEHEMOTH, I'm probably listening to either DREAM THEATER or SCORPIONS power ballads, that's why this track is easily one of my favorites.

"Sugar Cane" comes in with a frenzy of a guitar intro, maybe because of a sugar rush? The song makes a perfect rock n' roll party anthem with its hyper energetic approach in every aspect: the singing, the drumming, the guitars and the very loud bass. Another slower and more melodic song is "The Great Pretender", but let's not make it long by discussing how I love power ballads. ('cause seriously, who loves rock n roll music without loving them power ballads?) Last in line is "Boulevard of Broken Hearts". Please, don't confuse it with GREEN DAY's boulevard. And please, don't confuse the intro to Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", there is no dent, dent-dent-dent, dent-dent-dent here. It only has an equal astounding energy as they did in the first track, and another epic solo by SLASH putting on a strong finish to this beyond excellent offering.

You see, the reason why Myles Kennedy is the singer in this super group is that his voice and delivery is exactly what they need to compliment the stellar performances of each instrumentalist, and he is a very versatile singer. He can do full-on rock n roll singing and then follow it with a sappy ballad. An album like this in 2018 is what rock n' roll needs to keep itself alive as it would inspire younger bands to do the same kind of music. It's also good to feel that despite technological advancements, the good ol' rock n' roll that we loved never lost its dignity and always opted to stick to talent rather than technology. If we only keep loving it, rock n' roll will live on forever, and the long existing argument "rock is dead" soon die out on its own.