Apocalyptic Love

Apocalyptic Love
Studio album by
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators
ReleasedMay 22, 2012 (2012-05-22)
RecordedOctober 8, 2011 – February 6, 2012
StudioBarefoot Recording Studio
GenreHard rock, heavy metal
Length54:20
LabelDik Hayd International
ProducerEric Valentine
Slash chronology
Made in Stoke 24/7/11
(2011) 		Apocalyptic Love
(2012) 		World on Fire
(2014)
Myles Kennedy chronology
Live at Wembley
(2012) 		Apocalyptic Love
(2012) 		Fortress
(2013)
Singles from Apocalyptic Love
  1. "You're a Lie"
    Released: February 28, 2012
  2. "Standing in the Sun"
    Released: June 2012
  3. "Bad Rain"
    Released: September 26, 2012
  4. "Anastasia"
    Released: January 22, 2013

Apocalyptic Love is the second solo studio album by guitarist Slash. However, it is also the first studio album billed to Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. The band features vocalist Myles Kennedy, bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz in addition to Slash on guitar. Produced by Eric Valentine, it was released on May 22, 2012.[1]

History and recording

[edit]

During his first solo world tour, Slash announced his second studio album. Unlike his self-titled debut solo album, which featured a variety of singers including Chris Cornell, Ozzy Osbourne, M. Shadows, and Kid Rock, he said his second album would feature Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy as the sole singer. Kennedy had previously appeared on two songs from Slash's first album, and was later the vocalist of Slash's band on tour.[2] Slash later said that his second album would be more of a collaboration album with Kennedy, and said he was unsure whether it would be released under his own name or a new name entirely.[3]

Slash began working on his second solo album in June 2011,[4] and that December, three songs—"Halo", "Standing in the Sun" and "Bad Rain"—had been recorded. Slash described the new material as "very heavy".[5] The album was finished in February 2012 and was given a May 22, 2012, release date.[6] The first single, "You're a Lie", was released to rock radio on February 27, 2012; a 30-second preview of the song was released online with this announcement.[7] Slash released the track listing for the album on March 5, 2012.[8] Kennedy, who wrote the lyrics, has said that some of the lyrics on the album are about his past negative experiences with drugs.[9]

On March 26, 30 second samples from "Apocalyptic Love" were made available on Amazon.com.[10] It is an "internet rumor" according to Slash[11] that the lead intro riff for "Anastasia" takes inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, which Slash interpolates live in his version of "Speak Softly Love".

Release and reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic62/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Artistdirect[14]
The Observer[15]
Revolver[16]
SputnikMusic[17]
Q[12]
Kerrang![12]

The album debuted at number two on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 7,500 copies. The number one album for the week was John Mayer's Born and Raised, with 17,800 copies.[18]

The album received mixed reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 13 reviews.[12] Writing for Artistdirect, Rick Florino gave an enthusiastic review, awarding the album 5 out of 5 stars and stating that it "embodies every side of Slash", featuring "some of the man's most incendiary and infectious playing yet". He also praises Myles Kennedy's vocals and cites "Anastastia" and "Far and Away" as standout tracks, praising their orchestral and cinematic elements.[14]

Brandon Geist of Revolver also gave a positive review of the album, giving it a 4 out of 5 rating. Geist compares the album to Slash's solo début, which he criticised for sometimes seeming "strained under the weight of its creator’s own grand ambition", whereas on Apocalyptic Love, Slash's band "let the riffs and hooks fly freely". He concludes that the album is "a collection of lean, high-octane rock-and-roll tunes".[16]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave a more mixed opinion of the album in his review for AllMusic, awarding it 3 out of 5 stars. He observes that performing with Kennedy "clearly is easier on Slash's soul" compared to the vocalists in Slash's previous bands, and that the music on the album "reflects this ease". He criticises the album for containing "absolutely no surprises" but adds that it "never tries too hard, so it winds up satisfying on its own limited scale."[13]

Another 3/5 rating came from Johan Wippsson, writing for Melodic.net, who wrote that the album "is far better" than Slash's debut, praising the decision to have Kennedy perform on all tracks, though admitting that he "had expected better songs".[19]

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics are written by Myles Kennedy; all music is composed by Slash and Kennedy (except where noted)

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Apocalyptic Love" 3:28
2."One Last Thrill" 3:09
3."Standing in the Sun" 4:03
4."You're a Lie" 3:50
5."No More Heroes"
4:23
6."Halo" 3:22
7."We Will Roam" 4:49
8."Anastasia" 6:07
9."Not for Me" 5:21
10."Bad Rain" 3:46
11."Hard & Fast" 3:02
12."Far and Away" 5:14
13."Shots Fired" 3:48
Total length:54:20
Deluxe edition[20]
No.TitleLength
14."Carolina"3:17
15."Crazy Life"3:40
Live at Guitar Center – Best Buy exclusive[20]
No.TitleLength
1."Beggars & Hangers-On"7:08
2."Back from Cali"3:40
3."Civil War"8:37
4."Fall to Pieces"4:47
5."Far and Away"6:04
6."Not for Me"5:32
7."Starlight"6:36
8."Sweet Child o' Mine"7:03
Live from New York – Best Buy exclusive bonus DVD[20]
No.TitleLength
1."Mean Bone" 
2."Dirty Little Thing" 
3."One Last Thrill" 
4."Back from Cali" 
5."Ghost" 
6."Standing in the Sun" 
7."Doctor Alibi" 
8."Speed Parade" 
9."Apocalyptic Love" 
10."Watch This" 
11."Starlight" 
12."Just Like Anything" 
13."Halo" 
14."You're a Lie" 
15."Slither" 
16."By the Sword" 

Personnel

[edit]
  • Slash – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, talkbox on "Carolina"
  • Myles Kennedy – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Todd Kerns – bass, backing vocals, screams on "You're a Lie"
  • Brent Fitz – drums, electric piano

Miscellaneous

[edit]
  • The whole album was recorded with analog equipment only.
  • "Apocalyptic Love" is the first song that Slash and Myles Kennedy worked on together on this album.
  • "Anastasia" was written from a riff Slash played on stage during the Slash 2010–11 World Tour.
  • Myles Kennedy recorded some guitar blues licks for "Far and Away".[21]
  • Slash, Myles and The Conspirators also worked on two more songs which stayed demos.
  • Apocalyptic Love debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, selling 38,000 copies in its first week of release.
  • Tracks 6 and 7 on the Live at Guitar Center CD are mislabeled on the box and on the CD sleeve as being "Starlight" and "Not for Me" respectively. The tracks are in the opposite order on the CD itself.
  • The Album includes a 40-minute DVD titled "The Making of Apocalyptic Love" which explores a behind the scenes look at the Making of the Record.[22]

Charts

[edit]

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Apocalyptic Love
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[55] Gold 35,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[56] Gold 7,500^
Poland (ZPAV)[57] Gold 10,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[58] Silver 60,000‡

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Baltin, Steve (February 15, 2012). "Slash Talks New Album, Explains Why He's a 'Band Guy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  2. ^ "SLASH's Next Album To Feature MYLES KENNEDY Handling All Vocals". Blabbermouth.net. November 21, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  3. ^ Bosso, Joe (December 23, 2010). "Interview: Slash talks Ozzy tour, Velvet Revolver and next solo album". MusicRadar.
  4. ^ "New Slash Album Slated For March/April". Ultimate Guitar Archive. May 26, 2011.
  5. ^ "SLASH: More Details Of New Solo-Album Recording Sessions Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. November 30, 2011.
  6. ^ Wawzenek, Bryan (February 7, 2012). "Slash's New Album Due May 22". Gibson Guitars. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  7. ^ "Slash Previews New Song 'You're a Lie'". Loudwire.com. February 23, 2012.
  8. ^ "SLASH: 'Apocalyptic Love' Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. March 5, 2012. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
  9. ^ "Myles Kennedy Took Drugs to Aid Songwriting Skills". Contactmusic. November 23, 2011.
  10. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  11. ^ Video on YouTube
  12. ^ a b c d "Apocalyptic Love - Slash". Metacritic. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
  13. ^ a b Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "Apocalyptic Love - Slash - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  14. ^ a b "Slash "Apocalyptic Love" Review — 5 out of 5 stars". ARTISTdirect. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  15. ^ "Slash: Apocalyptic Love – review". The Guardian. June 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Review: Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Revolvermag.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  17. ^ sputnik
  18. ^ Canoe inc. "Mayer clobbers Lambert on charts". canoe.ca. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved January 24, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ^ "Melodic Net - Slash - Apocalyptic Love". Melodic.net. May 22, 2012. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  20. ^ a b c "Apocalyptic Love (Deluxe) [feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators]". iTunes. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  21. ^ "Apocalyptic Love on SlashParadise". www.slashparadise.com. November 10, 2012.
  22. ^ Call, John J. Moser, Of The Morning (May 31, 2012). "Hangin' with Slash". mcall.com. Retrieved November 13, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
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  27. ^ "Slash Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  28. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  29. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  30. ^ "Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators: Apocalyptic Love" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  31. ^ "Lescharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  32. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  33. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2012. 21. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  34. ^ "German Music: Top German Albums Chart - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  35. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Slash". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  36. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  37. ^ "アポカリプティック・ラヴ～デラックス・エディション". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  38. ^ "Charts.nz – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  39. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  40. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  41. ^ "Статьи: Lenta.ru: Культура: Бабушкин реванш". Lenta.ru. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
  42. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  43. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  44. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  45. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – Apocalyptic Love". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  46. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  47. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  48. ^ "Slash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  49. ^ "Slash Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  50. ^ "Slash Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  51. ^ "Slash Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  52. ^ "Slash Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  53. ^ "ARIA Top 100 Albums 2012". ARIA. Archived from the original on March 7, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  54. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2012". Billboard. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  55. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  56. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Slash – Slash". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  57. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Złote płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2012 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  58. ^ "British album certifications – Slash – Apocalyptic Love". British Phonographic Industry.
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