mail: daniel_fjall@hotmail.com
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contraband
Contraband Hyped and hyped for a reason. Ex-members from Guns ‘N’ Roses teaming up with the singer from Stone Temple Pilots and shows all new MTV bands claiming to be hard rock, how it is supposed to be done. Slash, Duff, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner does a great job, with loads of great, heavy riffs and are extremely tight. Singer Scott Weiland keeps up pretty well on top of it all. One could easily drift into a long (and rather boring) rant about various problems each and every member have had, but I’ll refrain from that. Let’s focus on the music instead. As I already stated, the music is built around heavy riffs. Extremely tight ones, the bass and guitars completely in synch with each other. Slash is as great as ever when allowed to stretch out a little. However, the music has its fair share of problems too. For instance, melodies. The band clearly lacks a tunesmith like Axl Rose, at least on the heavier tracks. Even the choruses aren’t very memorable and after a while it all sounds the same. But, when the band slows things down and pulls off some nice ballads, you easily forgive them. Weiland does a fantastic job with “Fall To Pieces” and when Slash adds some “Sweet Child of Mine”-sounding guitar, it becomes an absolute joy. How desperate and aching the song might be, it puts a smile on your face, because finally the expectations are fulfilled. “Loving The Alien” even steps away from being a hard rock ballad. It’s a great, nice and humble little ballad. Nearly folksy, with its beautiful acoustic guitars and great melody. Also spaced with a great guitar solo. Among the heavier material, “Dirty Little Thing” and probably “Headspace” works best. The rest is good, although not that memorable, and while this is playing you probably won’t complain and enjoy it from the beginning to the end. Just don’t expect to remember much of it afterwards, though. Except for those ballads.
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