CD Review: Guns N’ Roses – “Chinese Democracy”

Web exclusive: 14 years in the making, is Axl Rose's labor of love worth the hype?

By Kegan Zema

Posted on Nov. 24, 2008, at 12:00 a.m.

Let’s get one thing straight; the only member from the original Guns N’ Roses lineup is Axl Rose. The classic band from the late ’80s and early ’90s is a distant memory. The new GNR isn’t pretty, but then again, it fits with the image tune-up.

“Chinese Democracy” has been rumored about for so long that its reputation easily precedes it. The band’s first studio album since 1993′s covers collection “The Spaghetti Incident?” has had fans chomping at the bit for an eternity in music time. Fourteen years after first undertaking the project, Axl’s bold statement is finally on shelves.

Let’s look at the album piece by piece. Gone are Slash’s riffs and blistering guitar solos – his GNR departure is ancient history by now. But stepping in to replace them are equally heavy licks and leads by an arsenal of guitarists. Tracks often contain up to five guitars battling it out, combining a mix of classic tones with newer, effect-laden ones. Credits on the album go to guitarists such Buckethead and Robin Finck, both of whom spent time as actual members of the band.

Also gone is the nasty old sound GNR sound you know came from copious amounts of coke (and I’m not talking about the soda), whiskey and women. The album is modern sounding and very well produced. One would hope so with 14 studios sharing credit for the production.

There are so many different styles and sounds on the album, with Axl crooning the same over all of them. For instance, “If The World” combines Spanish guitar riffs, ’70s R&B grooves, synth lines and distinctly nu-metal sounding guitars. And somehow it all works.

What Axl didn’t do is make another Guns N’ Roses album. He did however, make an Axl Rose album, and he pulled that off fairly well. The overproduced, introspective piano ballads toward the end are a bit much, but for the most part, Rose assembled an enjoyable modern rock album.

Despite all the backlash and turmoil surrounding Axl Rose for some time, he ignored everyone and created an album he was proud of. His willingness to experiment and step outside the norm gives him bonus points on this disc. Some of it certainly misses the mark, but “Chinese Democracy” should sufficiently satiate those who still have an appetite for destruction.

Grade: B-

This entry was posted on Monday, November 24th, 2008, 12:00 am. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.