Chinese Democracy

The forests of Avalon, a desolated Sodom and Gomorrah. Leafs blowing in the wind. We are with the myths, and they are coming back to life. A whisper from a time long gone echoing back from eternity. A pair of godly drums let you know what you've been suspecting all along. A need arises to sit back and just let it grab you.

Then it hits you, the all too familiar growl accompanied by the intensified melody. He's back alright. A phalanx of instruments pokes you left and right while the man himself rants on like a mean stream. Determined, yet playful. Aggressive, yet nonchalant. It really don't matter. Take it for what is is. A classic outro ends the show. Only a somewhat lackluster guitar solo preventing a top score.

4.5/5

Shackler's Revenge

If you had closed your eyes before playing this song and then found yourself in a dark cave alongside a sacrificial brotherhood when opening them again, you wouldn't be too surprised. Axl plays the role of demon here. Starting in the basement he works his way up through the verses. If not for a helium induced climax this could very well have been one of the best rockers on the album. The guitar solo is not great in itself, but it holds and grinds until he comes back on the other end in a vintage fashion. Sadly what could have been a great outro fails when Bon Jovi decides to share in on the lead duties.

3/5

Better

After the hard hitting opening you may find yourself confused, thinking that dusty Earth Wind & Fire record somehow found a way to occupy your stereo. It's all well though, cause when it hits you you are glad it never went straight to the point. This is much more satisfying. That first summer love. Meeting the eyes of your girl and finding yourself in indescribable euphoria. That would be the best way to describe how I felt the first time those uncompromising verses hit me. You have a king of rock and a king of pop. In this case Axl is the Pope of both. A myriad of instruments and influences coming together in a beautiful way. Just when you think you know what's going on you are forced to amend your conclusions. A hard hitting, epic rock track that kidnaps you until the end. A major achievement.

5/5

The Blues

All the love in the world couldn't save you. Love. This is a ballad in the true sense. Not some lip synced fantasy constructed in a board room. This song is dripping with emotion and every word feels totally real. You'd think Axl never aged. Powerful, raspy and controlled. He shows an incredible range here. The low key music carries it in the most wonderful way. It's almost like you want to have your heart broken. What can't be said with a thousand words is here being said. Elusive feelings are given a name, a place.

A street of dreams.

5/5

If The World

German porn? Schneller wailing Helgas? Almost, but not quite. This is perhaps where the true new guns n' roses make their first proper appearance. You've never quite heard something like this before, not from Axl, not from anyone. A mean, thick riff in the background that you can never quite figure out. It always takes a twist. Powerful, fitting vocals. A little spanish guitar, some piano. Never have patched music sounded so organic. The flow is slow, but intense. Beautiful guitar solo. This is groove in the ultimate sense.

5/5

There Was A Time

Clocks and orchestra. I can totally imagine the Cardinal throwing this on his Ipod before mass. A wall of music can perhaps be a bit too much though. There's nothing wrong with the first part of the song per se, but it lacks something and in the end feels more like just a setup for the latter part of the song. At this point though all is forgiven. The outro is surely the bands best ever, and I really can't think of many guitar solos that surpasses this, by any band. Axl tops it with his totally vintage wailing. Never before shown as clear as he does here. Imperfect, but still a major achievement.

4.5/5

Catcher In The Rye

Beatles, Lennon. The seventies. They all come back to you in this song. A great display of diversity for the band. There must be a thousand things going on in this song, but never does it feel cluttered. Every part is woven in seamlessly to enhance the basic, powerful melody. The guitar solos have received some complaints, but I don't get it at all. It's as if God descends to rip your heart out and laces it with manna from heaven, making you whole and complete. Deep aspects of the soul are brought forward, you truly feel alive. My favorite song.

6/5

Scraped

I definitely don't want to stop you now. Better comes to mind as this song takes you on a roller coaster ride of fun. Gritty guitars worthy of Appetite plays catch with a schizo station master. He twists and turns, up and down, never letting go. The bass filled chorus pumps out with double and triple layered vocals. Buckethead delivers a truly grinding solo that you wished never would end.

5/5

Rhiad N' The Bedouins

Nice, eerie intro. The melody and music is cool. But where If The World succeeds this song ultimately fails. You know they're trying to do something, but you don't quite know what, and in the end it doesn't work at all. The solo provides for the major wtf? moment of the album. Should have been left as a b-side.

2.5/5

Sorry

At first listen it doesn't sound like much. But behind the laid back mask lays hidden a world of melody. From the Pink Floydish fills to the small variations in Axls voice. The lyrics are serious and mature, revealing a tender part of the authors psyche. A powerful chorus takes you into one of the most heartfelt solos you've ever heard. Dripping wet. Falls a bit short at the end. Was expecting a little bit more at that point.

4.5/5

I.R.S

We're in rock n' roll territory again. The schizo is back as the lyrics are battling each other for attention. Nice drive. Epic, yet laid back. Out of nowhere comes one guitar solo after the other, one better than the last until it all comes together in a mighty synthesis. I never get tired of this song.

4.5/5

Madagascar

Very standard in its epicness. Still, once more Axl displays that he can call on a range of voices like normal people do a phonebook. It's raspy and raw. You get the sense of a tired old man speaking in anguished tounges, reflecting on his life. The music is corresponding and clean. Buckethead delivers what is still one hell of a solo. Not the epic I once thought it, but in no way something to be ashamed of.

4/5

This I Love

You thought there couldn't possible be room for any more epicness on this album. As in earlier traks though, Axl is determined to prove you wrong. If only just for spite. Stripped down. Only Axl and the piano, pouring his heart out. An amazing performance. At the end you feel shivers down your spine. You are in awe of the sheer beauty of it. The solo might not be the best, but in the end I accept it. It kinda fits. After all the hype this song could never deliver, but in fact it does. And I think that's all that needs to be said.

5/5

Prostitute

This one took ages to grow on me, literally. I must have spun it 30 times before I could get over my initial vomit inducing reaction. There's no real structure here, and the change in melody seem all over the place. Yet what we have here is simplistic complexity. This might be the strongest performance vocally on the album. It's so powerful in fact that I failed to notice it for the first 30 listens. Can't see the forest for all the trees.

Great way to end a great album.

4.5/5