Slash "Apocalyptic Love"

How fitting the title is, considering 2012 was the big year of the apocalypse. We’re still here, and when love mutates into hate it still feels like the end of the world! In fact, it only takes one bad relationship to lose the precious jewel everyone is born with, or end the camaraderie that used to be shared between great friends. His last album was not only a showcase of multiple vocalists and musicians, but was nonchalantly an audition for the collaborator of Slash’s next album. This pairing with Kennedy is on the right track, and shows promise for future projects. If the first two songs don’t do much for you, then you might feel aroused listening “Standing in the Sun;” regardless if your location be Paradise City, or the type of memories it holds. This next collaboration is not up to par with the two audition cuts on his 2010 album; in fact the guitar work sounds lazy and boring, and the hook is garbage. “You’re A Lie.”  “No More Heroes” has this engaging recurring riff that reminds me of this old animated commercial that was against smoking; released over a decade earlier, and was like pen drawings. A dirty, infectious hook can often leave an infected wound, but in spite of itself leaves a “Halo,” and a reminder that you should live for the present as well. How past mistakes and/ or regrets can come back to haunt us: whether it is the love for “Anastashia” that has him on the run, for her sake, or the ghosts of bad habits that are no longer worth it. The former was good, but the latter was “Not For Me;” musically anyways. “Bad Rain” could have been falling from the aching hearts who mourn the loss of the king of pop; it sounds like an MJ song, and I say that with as much respect as possible. I like my music “Hard and Fast,” but this is one of those cases I choose to be “Far and Away” from. “Shots Fired” and target acquired: a better climax than the inception; not by much. My Favorites: Standing in the Sun, You’re A Lie, No More Heroes, Anastashia, Bad Rain and Shots Fired.