SONIC WAVES…Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators/World On Fire

Yah man I’m breaking protocol and reviewing sumthin new and probably well too new for me but it’s not too often that a new release can come out and basically kick me in the ass of awesomeness but World On Fire has done that man and it will possibly quite well be my número Uno 2014 fav release!

Slash and the boys have outdone themselves here. I mean when I seen it was 17 tracks deep I was like ah no way man maybe 10 keepers and 7 close calls but nope nada ….17 little cookers that prove to me in the year 2014 that guitar oriented rock is alive and well in Slashville.

Lets see what’s cooking under the top hat!

WORLD ON FIRE-The boys kick out the jams right out of the gate with the catchy lead off single. Myles Kennedy is without a doubt one of the best rock singers out there right now period. The dude holds his own and it helps that they have cranked up Todd Kerns on bass and backing vocals I mean why not Kerns fronted Age Of Electric and now he slings the 4 string for Slash and man how many bands can you say out there right now have two lead vocalists ? Yeah and that’s this band! Slash is riffing like crazy on this and on all others! Yeah if you choose to play the vid on your big screen,make sure the kids aren’t around ahem! Just don’t trip the wire!

SHADOW LIFE-starts off moody kinda chill like vibe and boom into gear and big Chrous and like I said Kerns and Kennedy a one two vocal punch to the gut. There not screwing around and man these guys are locked in by track two!

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE-this band just punches the gas and roars. You know the deal your baby is Automatic and she’s in Overdrive. This songs just clocks in under 100 mph so you know it’s a rocker. Slash has totally stepped up with the playing on this album. Man, you want huge riffs this is the place for em!

WICKED STONE- man oh man this one reminds me for some reason of that big band Slash was in about 20 yrs ago. Slash puts this song on his back and carries it right thru. Also of mention again is the fact that Kennedy is a crafty lyricist and he delivers it vocally. Plus the fact that they got Kerns cranked up as well vocally is a smart move(dude can sing,don’t believe me check out Ugly from his old band Age Of Electric). This song just keeps the momentum going ! Holy crap still 14 more songs to go!

30 YEARS TO LIFE-Brent Fitz slams some serious drumming along with some killer cowbell on this road rocker. Actually this whole band is firing and now there on the run. 30 years in the clink. Well if your gonna get locked up Myles at least your going in style! Slash once again riffs and riffs but not to the point of overkill. Brent Fitz is kicking the crap out of his drums, man he’s good.

BENT TO FLY- whoa, Slash slams on the breaks and the boys kinda chill out on this one well until the big hooky Chrous with the big hooky voices. Even though it’s a little more slow paced. The boys keep it rocking in a different way I mean you can’t go 100 mph 24/7 anymore. Well maybe 85 mph24/7 actually I would be at roughly 33mph/24/7 you get the drill!

STONE BLIND- all right this one is a scorcher. The song starts off super chill with Kennedy just chillin and than boom The verse is so friggin catchy. This one just grabs ya and doesn’t let go! This song rocks from start to finish.

 

TOO FAR GONE- it’s all been decided your Too Far Gone sez Myles and the boys. Yep your right fellas this song reminds me once again of that ol band (GNR) but how could it not .Slash wrote some huge riffs back than. And he continues to do it to this day! More power to ya Slash!

BENEATH THE SAVAGE SUN- the beginning reminds me of ol school Aerosmith and that’s where the comparison ends. The band shifts into some different time signatures and Kerns drops down some cool low end bass in at as well. Kinda epic style Slash N Roll…

WITHERED DELILIAH- hey I think SMK&C may have a hit here. This song just rocks along and it will make a great single. This album courtesy of Brent Fitz has a bunch of cool percussive action going on this whole album!(COWBELL) Kudos to Slash for keeping this unit intact for a few years now and not some revolving musical door!

BATTLEGROUND-this is the close to 7 minute epic track…slow buildup and man it’s a diversion of the rock that so dominates this release. Cool that like I said earlier are many different musical moods and this is a moody piece….but in a cool kinda way!

DIRTY GIRL- song number 12 and Slash heads back to the Sunset Strip for some Dirty Girl!  Of course you knew this kind of song would be on here tucked neatly away and BAM here comes the Dirty Girl. Cool that dudes pushing 50 can still sing about sleaze and roll not be called out as creepy! YET!  Great song man….this will be on the radio for all ya ol farts!(myself included)

IRIS OF THE STORM-it’s always a buzz to get this deep into a album and you realize this is my favourite track! Oh wait yeah it is. Songs starts off slow and slowly picks up steam. Man this album is chock full of radio rock and this is one of em also. Dig Kennedy’s voice on this golden nugget of a tune!  The band is right in the pocket on this one!

AVALON-comes crashing out of the gate at rocket speed! SMK&C aren’t letting up man!  Good solid rock song that pushes almost like a Heavy Nine Lives Aero Feel at times….

THE DISSIDENT- starts of like a mono LP with someone going off about the objector well make that a F*%kin Objector and than Fitz and Slash kick off the festivities and man during the Chrous you get some whoas and double whoas and man this is now my favourite track currently. It’s so damn catchy you will cruise around your house singing it..u will man..u will!

SAFARI INN- just a cool little musical and hey were over a hour into this bad boy and ya gotta give the lead vocalist a break!

THE UNHOLY-ends the record with some more epic material kinda like along the lines of Battleground. It’s ok man,this song is a fitting end it build and build and it’s over!

IN CONCLUSION- To say this is a great rock record in the year 2014 would be a understatement! It for me is thee rock record of 2014! SMK&C take it to another level with this release. Solid songs,solid performances all around and solid production take a bow Michael Baskette! Like I said earlier it’s cool that Slash has kept this trio of guys with him for a few years now and it shows in spades the cohesiveness of this unit. Hundreds of shows played and well the boys bring it home! So basically set aside about  1 hour and 17 minutes and head out on a rock n roll journey!