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SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS
4
Gibson Records 2022

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS [that’s a mouth full] are back with a new album. This is their first on the GIBSON GUITARS label branded GIBSON RECORDS. What else? If you recall it was only a few years ago that the guitar company was in shambles, they didn’t even make the NAMM Show. They hired a crew that righted the ship and now they’ve jumped into the record business. What better artist/band to launch the label than SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS? SLASH IS synonymous with the LES PAUL guitar. The new album is titled simply titled 4. It must have taken about as much effort as AXL ROSE dusting off a couple ‘retread’ songs from the Chinese Democracy era and recutting them with the current GUNS N’ ROSES and calling them ‘new’ music. What took effort was locking in DAVE COBB to produce the new album. He’s produced the likes of RIVAL SONS, SHOOTER JENNINGS and CHRIS STAPLETON, amongst others. He’s got an eclectic background, so I was interested in hearing the outcome of their partnership.

Cobb brought the band to Nashville’s RCA Studios, where it is said that the band cut the album ‘live’ as a collective unit. It truly seems to be the case, as the album has a gritty, rich vibe to it unlike most rock albums released in the modern era, of ‘cut & paste’ pro-tools and file sharing and record making. While GUNS N’ ROSES is releasing garbage like "Hard School", SLASH has gone ‘old school’ as in analog! I’m not much of a fan of Myles in ALTER BRIDGE. I enjoy his solo work, but when he pairs up with SLASH is where he shines in my opinion. In the past I felt that there was a carry over from ALTER BRIDGE to the work with SLASH. Not so on this album. The polish has been stripped right off. The duo is backed by the usual suspects, drummer BRENT FITZ, bassist TODD KERNS and rhythm guitarist FRANK SIDORIS who round out the band.

4 has the band throwing the kitchen sink at you with “The River Is Rising”, which is a heavy, relentless tune that one could say was ‘inspired’ by “Paradise City”. “Whatever Gets You By” has a ZEPPELIN-esque flavor where Kerns and Fitz channel JOHN PAUL JONES and JOHN BONHAM respectively. “Fill My World” is a must listen and the main riff is a different take on “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, which by this point you’re probably as burnt out on that song. If you’re like me you either skip it if you’re listening to Appetite For Destruction or you change the station when it comes on! “Fill My World” is simply fantastic. “Call Off The Dogs” is a throwback to the hungry, dirty, nasty SLASH of his Sunset Strip days duking it out for supremacy. “Fall Back To Earth” is a mid tempo tune that enters ballad territory. Mayles has a David Bowie quality influence to his performance. It isn’t something you’d expect from Slash & Co, but it works incredibly well. 4 right now, as things stand after a number of listens, is my favorite album by SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.

They’ve really hit it out of the park, it’s got a lot of charm, stellar performances, a live feel and the songs are there. They have just the right amount of music on this album, so as not to overstay their welcome. I can’t wait for the follow up.

4.0 Out Of 5.0