In the wake of pop’s recent chart domination, there’s been little that’s heavy enough to demand you headbang to the beat. With the release of Velvet Revolver’s towering second CD, “Libertad,” the drought is over.
The title might be gleaned from various tunes that use freedom as their theme, such as “Let It Roll,” “Get Out the Door” and “American Man.” But it’s also a reference to liberty from both Guns ‘N Roses and Stone Temple Pilots, the groups that spawned VR.
Ex-Gunner Slash’s guitar riffs throughout this new record are as aggressive as a caged cat (check out the solo on “Mary, Mary”), and singer Scott Weiland’s vocals are crisp and controlled yet passionate. When Weiland is singing, you believe him. His delivery here tops his previous work for either VR’s debut or anything in the STP catalog.
I could have done without the cover of ELO’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head,” but then again I didn’t like the original, either.
Download: “Let It Roll”
Velvet Revolver
“Libertad”
RCA