Apocalyptic Love

Apocalyptic Love
Studio album by Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators
Released May 22, 2012 (2012-05-22)
Recorded October 8, 2011–February 6, 2012 at Barefoot Recording Studio
Genre Hard rock, heavy metal
Length 54:20
Label Dik Hayd International
Producer Eric Valentine
Slash chronology
Made in Stoke 24/7/11
(2011)		 Apocalyptic Love
(2012)		 World on Fire
(2014)
Myles Kennedy chronology
Live at Wembley
(2012)		 Apocalyptic Love
(2012)		 Fortress
(2013)
Singles from Apocalyptic Love
  1. "You're a Lie"
    Released: February 28, 2012
  2. "Standing in the Sun"
    Released: June 2012
  3. "Bad Rain"
    Released: September 26, 2012
  4. "Anastasia"
    Released: January 22, 2013

Apocalyptic Love is the second solo-project studio album by guitarist Slash. However, it is also the first studio album billed to Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. The band features vocalist Myles Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns, Rhythm Guitar Ashaan Baig and drummer Brent Fitz in addition to Slash on guitar. Produced by Eric Valentine, it was released on May 22, 2012.[1]

History and recording

During his first solo world tour, Slash announced his second studio album. Unlike his self-titled debut solo album, which featured a variety of singers including Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, M. Shadows, and Kid Rock, he said his second album would feature Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy as the sole singer. Kennedy had previously appeared on two songs from Slash's first album, and was later the vocalist of Slash's band on tour.[2] Slash later said that his second album would be more of a collaboration album with Kennedy, and said he was unsure whether it would be released under his own name or a new name entirely.[3]

Slash began working on his second solo album in June 2011,[4] and that December, three songs — "Halo," "Standing in the Sun" and "Bad Rain" — had been recorded. Slash described the new material as "very heavy."[5] The album was finished in February 2012 and was given a May 22, 2012, release date.[6] The first single, "You're a Lie," was released to rock radio on February 27, 2012; a 30-second preview of the song was released online with this announcement.[7] Slash released the track listing for the album on March 5, 2012.[8] Kennedy, who wrote the lyrics, has said that some of the lyrics on the album are about his past experiences with being addicted to drugs.[9]

On March 26, 30 second samples from "Apocalyptic Love" were made available on Amazon.com.[10] It is an "internet rumor" according to Slash[11] that the lead intro riff for "Anastasia" takes inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, which Slash interpolates live in his version of "Speak Softly Love".

Release and reception

The album debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 7,500 copies. The number one album for the week was John Mayer's Born and Raised, with 17,800 copies.[12]

The album received mixed to positive reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 13 reviews.[13] Writing for Artistdirect, Rick Florino gave an enthusiastic review, awarding the album 5 out of 5 stars and stating that it "embodies every side of Slash", featuring "some of the man's most incendiary and infectious playing yet". He also praises Myles Kennedy's vocals and cites "Anastastia" and "Far and Away" as standout tracks, praising their orchestral and cinematic elements.[14] Brandon Geist of Revolver also gave a positive review of the album, giving it a 4 out of 5 rating. Geist compares the album to Slash's solo début, which he criticised for sometimes seeming "strained under the weight of its creator’s own grand ambition", whereas on Apocalyptic Love Slash's band "let the riffs and hooks fly freely". He concludes that the album is "a collection of lean, high-octane rock-and-roll tunes". [15]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave a more mixed opinion of the album in his review for Allmusic, awarding it 3 out of 5 stars. He observes that performing with Kennedy "clearly is easier on Slash's soul" compared to the vocalists in Slash's previous bands, and that the music on the album "reflects this ease". He criticises the album for containing "absolutely no surprises" but adds that it "never tries too hard, so it winds up satisfying on its own limited scale."[16] Another 3/5 rating came from Johan Wippsson, writing for Melodic.net, who writes that the album "is far better" than Slash's début, praising the decision to have Kennedy perform on all tracks, though admitting that he "had expected better songs".[17]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic62/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[16]
Artistdirect[14]
stereoboard.compositive[18]
Revolver[15]
FT.com
Melodic.net[17]
Metal Hammer
Classic Rock
Kerrang

Track listing

All lyrics written by Myles Kennedy; all music composed by Slash and Myles Kennedy (except where noted).

No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Apocalyptic Love"    3:28
2. "One Last Thrill"    3:09
3. "Standing in the Sun"    4:03
4. "You're a Lie"    3:50
5. "No More Heroes"  Slash, Kennedy, Eric Valentine 4:23
6. "Halo"    3:22
7. "We Will Roam"    4:49
8. "Anastasia"    6:07
9. "Not for Me"    5:21
10. "Bad Rain"    3:46
11. "Hard & Fast"    3:02
12. "Far and Away"    5:14
13. "Shots Fired"    3:48
Total length:
 54:20

Miscellaneous

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[23] 2
Austrian Top 75 Albums[23] 3
Belgian Ultratop (Flanders)[23] 13
Belgian Ultratop (Wallonia)[23] 21
Canadian Albums Chart[24] 2
Danish Albums Chart[23] 9
Dutch Albums Chart[23] 7
Finnish Albums Chart[23] 3
French Albums Chart[23] 9
German Albums Chart[25] 5
Hungarian Albums Chart[26] 3
Italian Albums Chart[23] 3
Iceland Albums Chart[27] 5
Japanese Albums Chart[28] 13
New Zealand Albums Chart[23] 1
Norwegian Albums Chart[23] 13
Polish Albums Chart[29] 5
Russian Albums Chart[30] 16
Spanish Albums Chart[23] 17
Swedish Albums Chart[23] 4
Swiss Albums Chart[23] 3
UK Albums Chart[31] 12
U.S. Billboard 200[32] 4

Year-end charts

Chart (2012) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[33] 92

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[34] Gold 35,000^
Poland (ZPAV)[35] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Silver 60,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ Steve Baltin (February 15, 2012). "Slash Talks New Album, Explains Why He's a 'Band Guy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  2. ↑ "SLASH's Next Album To Feature MYLES KENNEDY Handling All Vocals". Blabbermouth.net. November 21, 2010. Retrieved 2010. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. ↑ Joe Bosso. "Interview: Slash talks Ozzy tour, Velvet Revolver and next solo album". MusicRadar.
  4. ↑ "New Slash Album Slated For March/April". Ultimate Guitar Archive. May 26, 2011.
  5. ↑ "SLASH: More Details Of New Solo-Album Recording Sessions Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. November 30, 2011.
  6. ↑ Bryan Wawzenek (February 7, 2012). "Slash's New Album Due May 22". Gibson Guitars.
  7. ↑ "Slash Previews New Song 'You're a Lie'". Loudwire.com. February 23, 2012.
  8. ↑ "SLASH: 'Apocalyptic Love' Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. March 5, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Myles Kennedy Took Drugs to Aid Songwriting Skills". Contactmusic. November 23, 2011.
  10. ↑
  11. ↑ Video on YouTube
  12. ↑ Canoe inc. "Mayer clobbers Lambert on charts". canoe.ca. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Apocalyptic Love - Slash". Metacritic. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  14. 1 2 "Slash "Apocalyptic Love" Review — 5 out of 5 stars". ARTISTdirect. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  15. 1 2 "Review: Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Revolvermag.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  16. 1 2 Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Apocalyptic Love - Slash - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Melodic Net - Slash - Apocalyptic Love". Melodic.net. 2012-05-22. Archived from the original on 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  18. ↑ Heather McDaid. "Slash - Apocalyptic Love (Album Review)". Stereoboard.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  19. ↑ "Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators]". iTunes. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  20. ↑ "Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators]". iTunes. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  21. ↑ "Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators]". iTunes. Retrieved 2012-05-17.
  22. ↑ "Apocalyptic Love on SlashParadise". www.slashparadise.com. November 10, 2012.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "finnishcharts". Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved August 24, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Canadian Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  25. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets, Genres, Genresuche, Genrelexikon, K黱stler-Suche, Musik-Suche, Track-Suche, Ticket-Suche - musicline.de". musicline.de. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  26. ↑ "MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége". mahasz.hu. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  27. ↑ "German Music: Top German Albums Chart - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  28. ↑ "スラッシュのCDアルバムランキング、スラッシュのプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
  29. ↑ "OLiS: sales for the period 21.05.2012 - 27.05.2012". OLiS.
  30. ↑ "Статьи: Lenta.ru: Культура: Бабушкин реванш". Lenta.ru. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  31. ↑ "Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators". Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Slash - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  33. ↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2012". ARIA. Archived from the original on 2013-01-09. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  34. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  35. ↑ "Polish album certifications – Slash – Apocalyptic Love" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  36. ↑ "British album certifications – Slash – Apocalyptic Love". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Apocalyptic Love in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search

External links

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