Libertad (CD - 2007)

Given the dismal track record of supergroups in general and the well-known personal difficulties of Velvet Revolver's frontman in particular, many listeners assumed that 2004's CONTRABAND would be a one-off experiment. However, the album was commercially and artistically successful enough that the core trio of Scott Weiland, Slash, and Duff McKagan stuck together to create the even better follow-up, LIBERTAD.

Where CONTRABAND sounded, logically enough, like a mash-up of Stone Temple Pilots' alterna-rock angst and Guns N Roses' Rolling Stones-derived hard-rock swagger, LIBERTAD sounds much more like the work of a cohesive band with a singular vision. There are many elements of 1970s arena rock on LIBERTAD, not least in the respectful cover of the Electric Light Orchestra's "Can't Get It Out Of My Head," whose power-ballad charms are echoed in the originals "The Last Fight" and "Gravedancer." Elsewhere, speedy, punky tracks like "She Builds Quick Machines" and "Let It Roll" underscore McKagan and Weiland's roots in the Seattle underground of the 1980s prior to their later mainstream success. "Get Out the Door" showcase's Slash's still considerable chops. minimize