Truly one of the icons of music in our lifetime, Slash is instantly recognisable aurally and visually.
His shredding riffs, so sharp they could cut your soul in two, low slung Gibson and trademark ‘narrow view of the world’ top hatted jet hued curls framing a face that belies the years he has spent on this mortal soil.
A legend though he may be, Orgy Of The Damned is an album of 11 blues cover tracks, guest starring, a cast of cohorts and mischief makers, that seem to be appearing purely for the joy of being invited to the party. Is this an orgy of self-indulgence or, the work of a life-long blues fanatic taking the opportunity to fulfil a dream in what small space of downtime he has away from the big machine that is Guns N Roses and side project The Conspirators?
Perhaps more well known for being the writer of Joy To The World or, being the misguided inventor father who brings his son a Mogwai for Christmas, Wayne Hoyt Axton’s lyrics would be hard pressed to find a better home than in that of Black Crowes, Chris Robinson’s vocal on The Pusher. His delivery, tone and emotion are sheer class, and he offers a fitting, lived truth with every word.
Chester ‘Howlin Wolf’ Burnett’s Killing Floor, featuring Geordie/AC/DC powerhouse, Brian Johnson on vocal and Mr Steven Tyler on Harmonica, is rammed with groove and hooks, Slash has given this washboard masterpiece an upbeat transformation that loses none of the grit but gives it all of the gumption in the delivery from Johnson.
Peter Green’s Oh Well, gets a guest vocal from CMT award winner Chris Stapleton and, as any Slash fan can imagine, the guitar on this track, alongside Stapleton’s guttural, drawl of a vocal, is a heady, heavy, undulating and definitely unforgettable journey. Some partnerships are made in heaven, this one not so much, its rolled in smoke and rocked in bourbon and the result, is some kind of wonderful.
Iggy Pop, Paul Rogers, Beth Hart, Demi Lovato, Billy Gibbons, and Dorothy each take a turn. Every interpretation is interesting, different, a reimagined classic if you will. However, a special mention must come in the guise of Tash Neal and the iconic Stevie Wonder track, Living For The City. Gritty guitar introduces a harmony laden vocal, with a very slightly lower tone to Wonder’s, Neal and Slash come together in what can only be described as a downright dirty, pulsing, rated R version of this Motown classic and a poignant rear-view vision, so evident in the modern world.
Slash closes the show with an instrumental track, simple, beautiful, filled with the signature shredding and clean as a whistle, soaring tones he is so famous for. Metal Chestnut, yes indeed, we enjoy the pun Slash, your Orgy Of The Damned has now become ours and, we thank you for the invitation to indulge.
Words by Viki Ridley