Album Review: Velvet Revolver – ‘Libertad’

By Patrick Luce Jul 4, 2007, 12:53 GMT

When they exploded out of the gates on their 2004 debut, Contraband, Velvet Revolver were met with as much diffidence as appreciation. After all, supergroups have tended to detonate as often as succeed, and with vocalist Scott Weiland, bassist Duff McKagan, and guitarist Slash all vying to keep the lit match away from the fuse, the odds against this band ever seeing album #2 were even money at best. Surprise! ...more

Velvet Revolver’s ‘Libertad’ is 14 tracks of blistering guitar rock that picks up where the band’s debut ‘Contraband’ left off. Like their debut, the new album kicks your teeth in, and shows you there are still bands that know how to rock.

Velvet Revolver (made up of vocalist Scott Weiland, bassist Duff McKagan, guitarist Slash, drummer Matt Sorum, and guitarist Dave Kushner) kick it off with “Let It Roll” – which sets the fast pace of the entire album. “She Mine” is almost poppy, but the guitar makes sure to keep the song grounded in rock. Lead single “She Builds Quick Machines” is one of the best songs on the album, and perfect for the first release.

The band slows things down a bit for “The Last Fight” and “Can’t Get It Out of My Head”– which matches Weiland’s voice and at times reflects some of the struggles of his personal life. However, the album never really slows down thanks to tracks like “Pills, Demons & Etc.” (which features the driving drum beats of Matt Sorum), “Mary Mary” and “Just Sixteen” (where Slash’s guitar is near perfection). My personal favorite on the album was “Gravedancer” – which is probably the closest the band comes to a ballad.

‘Libertad’ shows that Velvet Revolver will not be suffering from any “sophomore slump” or simply settling for a “one hit wonder” status. The album also helps to further distance the band from their Guns N’ Roses/Stone Temple Pilots roots, and demonstrates they have their own sound. This is a Velvet Revolver album – with all the attitude and rock that you would expect from the band’s line-up.

If you enjoyed ‘Contraband,’ the new album will blow you away. Velvet Revolver has released an album that demonstrates the band is here to stay, and has no plans of compromising its sound for what might be radio friendly. I HIGHLY recommend this album.

‘Libertad’ is now available at Amazon. Visit the music database for more information.