Velvet Revolver - Libertad

Surely, nobody was ever so naïve as to expect Appetite II or Purple Redux, but for the portions of filthy rock n' roll to arrive so slim on the platter foxes basic comprehension

Album Review by Johnny Langlands | 09 Aug 2007
Album title: Libertad
Artist: Velvet Revolver
Label: RCA

Comprised of hard rock legends they most definitely are, but complacency gnaws on the flesh of Velvet Revolver like a vulture from the bones of these 13 songs, to the point that the veteran quintet barely seem to break a sweat while they cook up their second serving of supergroup stew. Similarly to the quickly dimmed fire of Audioslave, it feels like Weiland, Slash and company spent the better part of their load on the first album, leading them to coax out little more than a half-hearted, unfocused slew of pseudo-stadium moments this time around.

Titles like Let It Roll only serve to underline this relative nonchalance in comparison to 2004's Contraband and small, glimmering graces like lead single She Builds Quick Machines and the snarling Spay are undone quickly by an ill-fitting ELO cover and then the momentum is simply gone. Surely, nobody was ever so naive as to expect Appetite II or Purple Redux, but for the portions of filthy rock n' roll to arrive so slim on the platter foxes basic comprehension. [Johnny Langlands]

Out now.

http://www.velvetrevolver.com