Slash Announces NYC Album Release Show

Slash, along with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, will celebrate the release of their new album, Apocalyptic Love, with a May 22 concert in New York City. The Tuesday night show falls on the same day the record becomes available in the U.S., according to Blabbermouth.

The May 22 gig will take place at Irving Plaza. A fan pre-sale begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday (April 4) and the standard sale begins 10 a.m. on Friday (April 6) at SlashOnline.com.

In other Slash news, the guitar great and his band will stop by Jimmy Kimmel Live next week. On the April 10 show, the boys will perform Apocalyptic Love’s lead single, “You’re a Lie,” for the first time on TV. Fans who show up to the live taping in Hollywood will also get to see a mini-concert from Slash and the gang.

The day after (April 11), the band will perform at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone, and broadcast live via XboxLive.com from Los Angeles.

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Slash to Play on Steven Adler’s Album

Although there’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding a potential Guns N’ Roses reunion at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in April, we do know that at least two original GN’R members are working together. Guitar god Slash is lending a few licks to former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler’s forthcoming album.

“Looking forward to laying down some guitars on a song for Steven Adler’s new record tomorrow night,” Slash tweeted on Wednesday.

It seems that Slash is paying back Adler, who played drums on the guitarist’s self-titled debut album. Adler performed on “Baby Can’t Drive,” which also featured Red Hot Chili Pepper Flea on bass and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger on vocals.

There’s no word on the title or release date for Adler’s record; Slash’s new album, Apocalyptic Love, is due out May 22.

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Slash, Joe Bonamassa Win Guitar Awards

Guitar International feted two of Gibson heroes last week with major awards.

Joe Bonamassa was voted Guitarist of the Year in honor of his new album Dustbowl and Black Country Communion’s world tour and live DVD.

“Though still a young 34 years of age, this guitar slinger has accomplished more than most players could imagine to achieve in a lifetime, and 2011 was a testament to the hard work, dedication and hours spent in the practice room and on the bandstand by this guitar great,” Guitar International said in a statement.

And our man Slash was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. “A guitarist who has revived his career (twice, with his recent solo albums after Velvet Revolver’s demise), played with Michael Jackson, Alice Cooper and many more music icons, and held his commitment to rock over his entire career certainly deserves Guitar International’s Lifetime Achievement Award. And with his impeccable track record, one can only assume Slash has much more rock ’n’ roll in the tank.”

As a matter of fact, he does – and the engine is revving up now for a new album due later this year. Congrats, Joe and Slash!

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Slash Talks New Album: It’s ‘Raw and Spontaneous’

Slash has been talking about his new in-progress album. It will feature singer Myles Kennedy for all tracks. After the festive break, Slash and Co. return to the studio to continue recording and mixing the as-yet-unnamed album, and the Les Paul-toting star predicts an April release.

Slash tells Total Guitar magazine, “We’re just going for the one take that sounds good, so my solos are more raw, probably sloppier in a way, because they’re very spontaneous to the point where it’s in the heat of the moment.”

Slash and his band – Kennedy on lead vocals and second guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and drummer Brent Fitz – have completed mixing three songs with another 14 to go. The album is being recorded live, Slash saying the main challenge is “rehearsing the s--t out of them.”

Of the completed individual songs, Slash says, “There’s one song at this point called ‘Bad Rain’ which is a mid-tempo, very heavy and dark song. It’s in a drop-D tuning – and we’re already playing a half-step down – and the solo has a kinda chromatic feel.

“There’s one very uptempo song with a cool riff called ‘Halo.’ The third song is called ‘Standing in the Sun’ and it’s very melodic, mid-to-uptempo… just a rock ’n’ roll song! All three of these songs are relatively short, they’re all in a rock mold, and I guess I always come from that pentatonic point of view. For me, any time you go too far out of that, it ceases to be rock. It has to have a basis around that, otherwise it no longer has any essence of that Chuck Berry kinda deal.”

Slash says he is “pretty excited” about making such a raw album with “natural tone” everywhere. “Everything is being played live with the music tracks: the solos, everything. We’re trying not to overdub extra bits. So if there’s a solo, I’m playing on one side, Myles’s rhythm track is on the other.”

Myles Kennedy adds that the album is “real stripped-down and simple,” saying his own favorites so far are “Standing in the Sun” and another song called “Far and Away.”

Despite “sharing” singer Kennedy with Alter Bridge, Slash insists, “I’ve been happiest in my career these last couple of years.”

More Slash:

The World According to Slash

Slash Appetite Gibson Les Paul

Gun for Hire: Slash’s Career as an All-Star Sideman

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Slash on Les Paul: He Single-Handedly Created Popular Music

It’s well known that Slash is a Les Paul guy, and in a recent Esquire feature the top hat-sporting, slick six-stringer explained his experience meeting and getting to know the musician and inventor.

“I used to think Les Paul was a guitar. I didn't know he was a real guy,” Slash said. “When I got to know him, I found out that if you're really obsessed, he was the guy you'd want to be like. He was always trying to find an answer for what he was looking for in his mind. If things didn't exist, he built them himself. He single-handedly created what I consider ‘popular music.’”

As for guitar playing, Slash says it simply comes naturally: “Guitar is the best form of self-expression I know. Everything else and I'm just sort of tripping around, trying to figure my way through life.”

He also touched on his highly publicized split with Axl Rose, insisting, “The split between Axl and I was a quiet one. But because there was so much attention on the breakup -- and are we going to get back together? -- it got built up into this monster that led to a kind of animosity that wasn't the focus for me. Neither one of us wants to be down each other's throats for no reason. At this point, I'm trying to put it to rest. So I try to avoid the subject.”

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Slash Doesn’t Understand the ‘Hysteria’ around GN’R

In an interview with Heineken Music, guitar god Slash said that he’s baffled over the continuing excitement regarding Guns N’ Roses . He talked about following up GN’R and Velvet Revolver with his solo career.

“I don’t really like to spend time talking about them, but the interesting thing is the strong legacy about each band. The level of hysteria around the band – or should I say the name Guns N’ Roses – has continued. I don’t totally understand that.

“Velvet Revolver happened because Duff [McKagan] and I got together with Matt Sorum and Scott Weiland, and it was so good and intense we decided to carry it on. So trying to follow in Guns N’ Roses’ footsteps wasn’t an issue for us at all, because it’s been so long since Duff and myself had been in the band.”

Slash also discussed his continuing aspiration to be the best guitarist in the world.

“That’s the thing that drives me,” he said. “And I’m so far from it, which means I’ve got a lot of work to do. That’s my constant focus.”

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Slash, Zakk Wylde Guest on Leslie West’s New Album

Guitarist Leslie West will release his new album, Unusual Suspects, in September. Despite the Mountain legend’s recent life-saving surgery (a leg was amputated above the knee), West is committed to the release of the record.

According to Tunes.BroadwayWorld.com, the album sees  West joined by all-star guests, including Slash, Joe Bonamassa, Zakk Wylde, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Toto’s Steve Lukather.

“These guys don’t just show up to play on everybody’s albums,” said West. “They’re all stars in their own right, and fantastic players – everyone with their own sound and style, about as far from the usual suspects as it gets.”

Leslie West, Unusual Suspects tracklist:

1. “One More Drink for the Road” (with Steve Lukather)
2. “Mudflap Mama” (with Slash)
3. “To the Moon”
4. “Standing on a Higher Ground” (with Billy Gibbons)
5. “Third Degree” (with Joe Bonamassa)
6. “Legend”
7. “Nothing’s Changed” (with Zakk Wylde)
8. “I Feel Fine”
9. “Love You Forever”
10. “You & Me”
11. “Turn Out the Lights” (with Slash and Zakk Wylde)
12. “Beetle ‘I Don’t Know’”

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Slash Discusses New Album, Van Halen, Corey Taylor

Slash has a bit of insider knowledge about the new Van Halen. The guitarist spilled the beans to U.K.’s Rock Radio, according to Blabbermouth.net.

“They’re finishing [up their new album right now], actually,” he said. “I don’t wanna speak on their behalf, but one of the guys that works for us works for Van Halen in the studio and he told me that they’re in the mixing stages.”

Of course, Slash has got an album of his own in the works. The former Guns N’ Roses axeman said he’s in the writing stages for the follow-up to his 2010 solo debut.

“The band is so great and Myles [Kennedy] is one of the most fantastic singers I’ve ever worked with or even seen or heard; he is amazing. So we are actually knee-deep in writing for the next record. We’re all going to perform on it. It’s gonna be really, really good; the material we have is awesome.”

Slash said the album will be released in 2012, although fans might get a preview of some songs at one of his live shows.

“The thought [of debuting some of the new tracks on tour this summer] has crossed my mind, so if there’s something that’s developed enough to the point where we can pull that off, then we will, ’cause I think that’d be a cool thing to do,” he said.

He also discussed what happened with Corey Taylor when the Slipknot/Stone Sour singer tried out to be Velvet Revolver’s new frontman.

“There is a lot of controversy over this one. Corey came down and we had kept it pretty quiet and then word got out that we had worked with him,” he said. “And we did write some songs with him and made demos and all that kind of stuff, but it just didn’t end up working out. But then word got out about him coming down way after the fact. So then it became this new rumor that was six months behind schedule. But it didn’t end up working out.”

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Slash: No Velvet Revolver Plans for 2 Years

Slash has said that he does not see Velvet Revolver working together for at least another couple of years.

The hard rock band have yet to replace singer Scott Weiland, who departed in 2008. Recent rumors that Slipknot’s Corey Taylor might get the gig have been quashed.

Slash told Vorterix.com: “We did work with Corey Taylor, and as soon as that rumor [got around], next thing you know, everybody is saying Corey’s the new singer... All we were doing was just rehearsing with him and trying him out – auditioning him... It just didn’t seem to fit right to me. And he’s great – and I love Corey – but it didn’t seem like the answer to the Velvet Revolver problem.”

As for the future, he said: “Duff’s got his own thing, I’ve got my thing, Matt’s got his thing... Next year I definitely will make another Slash record with Myles Kennedy and go on tour. So at least for the next couple of years, nothing is going to be happening with Velvet Revolver that I can see ’cause I’ll be focused on this. And after that’s over, if something happens... I’m just not really concerning myself with it right now. We had all these different guys try out, all really good singers, but nobody has fit the thing, so, you know, I have to move on.”

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Slash, Slayer, Anthrax and Korn Pay Tribute to Metallica

One of the most important bands of the metal era is Metallica. The Bay Area rockers have sold in excess of 100 million albums worldwide since their 1983 debut, Kill ’Em All. Recently, ArtistDirect.com asked some of rock’s biggest artists when they first discovered Metallica and what the band means to them. Here are some highlights:

Slash: “I first discovered Metallica when they came out with their first EP. Metallica has always been one of my favorite heavy metal bands. I think that they are one of the most versatile metal bands that came out in the ’80s. They are also one of the most creative. I think that James Hetfield is one of the greatest heavy metal guitarists to ever walk this earth.”

Kerry King (Slayer): “I imagine it was at The Woodstock in Orange County, when Dave Mustaine was in the band. I instantly became a fan. I couldn’t believe Mustaine was ripping these incredible leads way back then and not even looking at his fingers. I’m still [expletive] looking at my fingers. [Laughs] There were no records then; it was just seeing them. I think Metallica might’ve just been on the Metal Massacre compilation or something.”

Scott Ian (Anthrax): “I was actually at Johnny Z’s record store, Rock ‘n’ Roll Heaven, in New Jersey. He played me the No Life ’Til Leather demo, so that was the first time I had ever heard any Metallica. It was pretty mind-blowing to hear for the first time. One of the coolest feelings about hearing it was just knowing there was another band out there on the West Coast that had the same mindset. Certainly, we didn’t sound alike at the time. Just the fact that they were playing their own music and had their own thing going on was how we felt about what we were doing as Anthrax in New York.”

Jonathan Davis (Korn): “I first heard them on either Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning. I was at my buddy’s house, and this guy came over and said, ‘You’ve got to hear this [expletive]!’ I was 14 years old or something; I can’t even remember how old I was. [Laughs] This dude put Metallica on, and I was like, ‘Wow, what the hell is that?’ They’re one of my favorite bands. I look up to them. They’ve been doing it for so long. That’s truly the band I look up to – them and Ozzy Osbourne. We’ve also toured with Metallica a bunch; it’s [expletive] awesome!”

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