Things seem to be working out for Slash, Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators. Their first full album together, 2012’s Apocalyptic Love, fared well with the public, scoring chart success on the rock charts and establishing the kind of vibe the guitarists has been searching for since he parted from Guns N’ Roses. Even the two albums from Velvet Revolver have lost their shimmer. With Myles Kennedy, Slash has definitely found the foil he needs to bounce and interact with. Back for a second round, the two, along with Conspirators (bassist Todd Kearns and drummer Brent Fitz) return with World On Fire.
Produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Falling In Reverse, Incubus), virtually every one of the 17 songs on World On Fire is pushing for distinction – meaning minimal filler and maximum rock and roll from every side of the spectrum. Kennedy’s wale fills in the blanks on the title track as Slash dashes through the simple and sly main riff. The rockers and ballads battle for space in an attempt to show off Slash’s ample versatility. “Automatic Overdrive,” “Wicked Stone,” “Too Far Gone” and “Withered Delilah,” meaty movements that swagger, shimmy and swing with random abandon.
The slower numbers like “Shadow Life,” “Bent To Fly” swoon and sway with poignancy and style, while the mid-tempo ones like “Iris Of The Storm” (with a familiar ring on the main riff) and “The Unholy” embrace the best of both worlds, ringing with a velvety magic as the album’s most epic songs. Slash has, in the past, proved he is capable of switching from light to dark in a sly transition, and here he does it delicately, gracefully and triumphantly. Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver served their purpose well; now, with Slash in the driver’s seat, and Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators at his side, setting the World On Fire is exactly what’s happening – now more than ever.
~ Shawn Perry
