“It’s been an interesting road from the mid 90s up until now,” says Slash. “I never stopped to think, ‘What am I gonna to do in the long term?’ Or ruminated on my solo career, where it was heading. I’ve just been jamming around, going wherever the muse has taken me. And this is the first time where I feel like I’m in the saddle and riding my own destiny with some genuine focus.”
The liberated feel of Slash’s newest album Apocalyptic Love (in stores May 22nd) is evident throughout the LP’s 13 songs, as is the genuine chemistry between Slash and lead singer, Myles Kennedy. The evolution of their creative relationship went full throttle since the two first joined forces on Slash’s 2010 debut solo release where the Alter Bridge front man lent his pipes to the cavalcade of venerable guest vocalists which included Iggy Pop, Ian Astbury and Ozzy Osbourne.
The Slash/Kennedy collaboration started from intuition. “I contacted him out of the blue, sent him one of the songs I was working on which turned out later to be ‘Starlight’. After Myles contributed his ideas and sent it back to Slash, creative forces congealed. “I went, ‘Wow, now that’sreally good,” recalls Slash. “I played it for Eric so we flew Myles out to track it and this unassuming mild mannered guy shows up, similar in demeanor to me, sort of quiet, not really explosive in personality. He then nailed “Back from Cali” it was like, ‘You ready to go on tour with us?’ I was so happy when he accepted the offer.” For the Boston-born lead singer of the Florida-based hard rock quartet, Alter Bridge, the gig was an opportunity to expand his personal portfoliowhile exploring some musical synergy with an artist he’d long admired.
The dynamic balance between front men and their six-string reflections is notoriously precarious. Flammable egos can torch even the most stunning synergy into a smoldering ash heap. The rock n’ roll road less traveled is littered with the scattered carcasses of damaged duos. But Slash and Myles have fused dynamic forces like two elements creating a natural compound of unique rock energy. Their genuine sense of mutual admiration and respect transcends profile and personality. “What I love so much about Slash’s playing is the immense emotion he devotes to his craft,” says Myles. “There is a certain ache to the way he bends a note, the vibrato. He plays so brilliantly on this record, as he has on all the records he’s made, but there’s a touch more beautiful pain in his technique now. Being a guitar player myself, I’m just in awe of his method and style.”
Few will argue that Slash has evolved with grassroots relevance and reverent pace over the past decade where he now rightfully belongs in the pantheon of axe mythology, having been selected by a Time Magazine survey as second only to Jimi Hendrix among electric guitarists. Staying focused on your current musical project whilst in the midst of swelling adulation and swirling speculation is no easy feat. But somehow, Slash manages to keep his eye on the apocalyptic prize.
“I know that GN’R’s induction into the Hall of Fame and the 25th anniversary of Appetite for Destruction are on a lot of people’s minds,” admits Slash. “But when you’re making a record, you just commit to keeping those distractions out of the process. You have to sort of roll with everything as it happens.”
Much to the delight of old and new fans, Slash’s resume builds along with his worldwide fan base. Since making history and amassing global sales in excess of 100 million units with Guns N’ Roses, returned with Slash’s Snakepit in 1994, followed by Velvet Revolver’s two hit LPs, 2005’s Contraband (for which the single, “Slither” won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock performance) and 2007’s Libertad. Finally, Slash reemerged with his groundbreaking, guest-star studded 2010 solo debut. In 2011, Slash was honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection to receive a star in 2012 on Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame. After making numerous session appearances and lending his laid-back, six-string genius to an eclectic mix of artists which include Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronovsky; not to mention Guitar Hero III: The Legend of Rock and co-authoring a bestselling memoir–the question begs: What’s next for the London-born, L.A. schooled kid who discovered his musical soul when his father played him the Beatles, Stones and Yardbirds?
“Touring Apocalyptic Love and having a great time,” Slash says humbly. “As long as I can plug my Les Paul into a Marshall amp, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Not a bad destiny at all.
Tickets for SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators will go on-sale on Friday, May 11th. Tickets can be purchased online at http://tickets.tbca.com, in-person at the TBCA Boxoffice, or by phone at 807-684-4444.
Tickets: General Admission: $106 / Reserved Seating: $91