Velvet Revolver

Contraband

the re-birth of ROCK music!!

Review Score:

(10/10)
I'll admit, i was really sketchy about buying this record. i'm a huge Guns n' Roses fan. But frankly i figured Contraband was just gonna be another modern totally generic effort like everything on the airwaves these days. and what would those guys sound like WITHOUT axl rose? But i heard "slither" and it really started to grow on me (plus that video's pretty cool) and i finally went out and bought the album. First time i heard it this was my review : good attempt; the music's cool, I love Scott's voice...but its nothin next to Appetite. But like i said that was the FIRST time i heard it. with in a week it lived in my cd player. that was 2 months ago...and it's still my favourite thing to listen to! i've never heard anything that has this lasting power. it even made me go out and buy Stone Temple Pilots' stuff (which is also great). So, here's a track by track review of this earth shattering record.

#1 Sucker Train Blues: 8/10

Definately a cool opener. That siren's sounds neat at the begining. it's heavy and it makes you hope the rest of the songs are this hard. But it doesn't really stand out, atleast in comparison to some of the other numbers.

#2 Do It for the Kids: 11/10

Very b*tchin song. Cheap sex. Very cool. Scott's lyrics are just perfect in this one.

#3 Big Machine: 9/10

At first i thought this was too generic to be likable. Kinda sounds like a lot of modern bands. But Duff's bass line and Scott's creepy vocals make up for the meticulous chorus.

#4 Illegal i Song: 8/10

Angry, raw. Diffenitaly a nice number. But it gets old after awhile. He repeats the same lines over and over again. But it still rocks hard and that stands for something.

#5 Spectacle: 9/10

I'm not sure why i like this one so much, but i do. The chorus is pretty neat. Another angry song. All the crap Scott was going through when he wrote these lyrics really stands out. Nice guitar solo too.

#6 Fall to Pieces: 7/10

Anyone reading this has probably heard this song by now. Personally i don't see why so many people like it so much. There are 3 "power ballads" on Contraband and this is by far the weakest. It's good and deep and all that jive. But i just feel it sounds too polished in comparison to the rest of the songs. Maybe that's just me though. Cause i know a lot of people who think this song's amazing.

#7 Headspace: 8/10

Really hard song. Loud, riddled with cussing. It's bad a$$, but does drag on a bit.

#8 Superhuman: 10/10

Amazing song. One of my faves. Song about drugs and sex. Lovely. The whole thing really works out to make one awesome heavy tune!

#9 Set Me Free: 7/10

My least favourite song. I try never to skip a song when i listen to this album, but i sometimes skip this one. it's kind of annouying. Really only the chorus...but it's sung so much that it over rides the good aspects. Those being that it's a fast rockin song that sounds 10 thousands times better than Houbastank or Yellowcard.

#10 You Got No Right: 10/10

Every time i hear this one i get goose bumps. It's really well done. The best of the slow songs. The lyrics are diffenitaly cool: "funny right here i find myself inside a paper cup / without a warning or a reason / it's a treason with no answer".

#11 Slither: 11/10

What can i say about this that hasn't already been said? Okay. it's the most STP influenced song on here. Which is a good thing, cause most of this sounds like G n' R with Scott Weiland playing Axl. They outta do more stuff like this on the 2nd album. In general the whole song's killer. Guitar's awesome, bass, drums...everything. and as always Scott sounds superb.

#12 Dirty Little Thing: 15/10

I hope i'm not the first person to notice this...but doesn't this song sound more than just a little like "Sex Type Thing". it's like Slash, Duff, and Matt were sitting around listening to Core while writing the music. The lyrics arn't like "Sex Type Thing" though ( which is a pity cause i love that song). This tune's about substance abuse, lying...all that good stuff. makes for an awesome song. Very 80s feel...like "My Michelle" or "It's So Easy".

#13 Loving the Alien: 9/10

Beautiful. Really beautiful. It's heart felt and powerful. though one of the downsides is Slash totally ripped off himself and just re-did Sweet Child o' Mine as far as the guitar work is concerned. But a lot of people think that's cool..so whatever. in short a really nice song. Good closer for the record. Leaves you feeling wistful like.

In conclusion Contraband is the single best record I've heard in YEARS. I'm only 15 and, priour to this, i was really trippin over the fact that i'd never hear good NEW music. This record blows all those other "rock" bands away. and it's a breath of fresh air from all the rap/hip hop crap that plagues the radio continually. I don't think i've ever been happier to have spent 10 pounds in my life! Even if you're unsure about getting this album get it anyway. If you're a fan of Guns n' Roses, Stone Temple Pilots, or just GOOD ROCK music in general pick this one up. You'll never regret it.

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