Album Review: Slash – Orgy of the Damned

A blues album from Slash isn’t much of a surprise. His approach to guitar has always been rooted in rock’s precursor whether it’s on Guns N’ Roses or much more recent offerings with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. And that’s before you even mention It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere; that first Slash’s Snakepit album is some of the sludgiest blues rock you’ll hear. So for Orgy of the Damned, Slash has went back to where it all began for him: the blues. But not only that, it’s blues covers, paying respect to those songs which paved the way. And similarly, he’s went back to how he started his solo career – it’s only his name on the album and he’s drafted in a whole host of singers just like his self-titled debut fourteen years ago.

Much like that debut album, there’s plenty of names and combinations which make complete sense along with some left-field choices on this 70-minute epic. Billy Gibbons, Gary Clark Jr, Chris Robinson? All of that makes complete sense. Iggy Pop, Brian Johnson, and Demi Lovato? Not so much on paper. But when you hear the songs, they absolutely do. Likewise, there’s some very recognisable numbers from the blues playbook like “Crossroads”, “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and some deep cuts that only a blues aficionado would know such as “Awful Dream”, “Key to the Highway” and “Stormy Monday”. Regardless, each and every track on here is to highlight and celebrate the importance of the blues and how it still influences rock in 2024.

As soon as the resonating note which introduces opening track “The Pusher” gives way to its swaggering chords, you know it’s Slash. It may not be your standard high-octane riff you know him for but when he opens up that Les Paul, you still know – it’s him. Chris Robinson’s gritty vocals against sun-drenched swaggering licks is the perfect way to set the tone for the album, showing you that this is Slash but not as you usually hear him whilst setting the tone for the entire album. Every song is faithful to its original but there’s still enough creativity going on to remind you of whose name is on the cover. Gary Clark Jr. leads the charge on a bouncy and blustering interpretation of “Crossroads” which forces you at gunpoint to stamp your feet around its signature muscular groove-filled chords. Meanwhile, Billy Gibbons on “Hoochie Coochie Man” is the high point of the track. As one of the most covered songs, not much has been added to it here but the ZZ Top lynchpin’s grizzled vocals bring a fresh bit of grit to it.

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Elsewhere, the stranger team-ups are just as inspiring as the solid choices. Lead single “Killing Floor” has Brian Johnson contributing vocals like you’ve never heard from him before. Gone is his usual AC/DC shriek and replaced with soulful tones like you’ve never heard from him. Whisky and cigarette-stained, it’s got the required lament and when you hear him faithfully hit those notes, you think Johnson could have his own blues album in him. There’s also a guest spot from Steven Tyler strictly on harmonica which allows a subtle nod to why harmonica has cropped up in Aerosmith’s back catalogue.

Acoustic guitar drives “Awful Dream” with Iggy Pop for the most stripped back number on the album. As Pop drawls his way through the song, it’s fraught with emotion, his gnarled voice resting on the sombre strumming as it trots along. As the notes vibrate out in a dark yet jangly fashion, the pair show that blues doesn’t need to always come blasting out of a Les Paul and can still easily fit into the genre with the meandering waltz. As for Demi Lovato’s inclusion – the pop star takes centre stage on “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” for a sultry and rambunctious affair, hitting highs gracefully against some dirty guitars. The six strings quiver with anticipation, the wah-laden number bringing some funk into the mix before it explodes into its charging solo and it’s the one track here which comes closest to classic Slash territory, ion pouring from the solo and it’s between this and “Key to the Highway” which you could guess inspired parts of Velvet Revolver’s “The Last Time”.

Then there’s the two dream combos – Paul Rodgers on “Born Under a Bad Sign” and Beth Hart for “Stormy Monday”. Both of them lend their respective vocal prowess to their collaborations. The former with Rodgers is something ripped straight from a fantasy. One of the best guitarists on the planet with one of the most iconic vocalists, who, at 74, still sounds like he did on those Free and Bad Company albums. Rodgers’ honeyed tones are enough to convince you that he made a deal with the Devil to keep his rich and impactful voice intact after all these years. On the other hand, Hart is at her feral best and for their third collaboration, Hart is leaving everything she has on the recording. Against its moving intro, she croons against the bright notes, bringing light and shade to the track before the pair of them ramp it up several notches with Hart roaring like a lioness whilst Slash meets the challenge with ease, the pair of them coming together in a fiery explosion as loss and heartbreak slowly slip away. And as the person who has the final words on the album, Hart sums up the song and the album perfectly: “That was fucking badass shit!” And with a final gasp, “Badass!”

There might be a lack of Myles Kennedy and Conspirators on this album, indeed, none of them feature anywhere but the album isn’t lacking for it; Slash doesn’t need his band to prop him up. What makes this record so intriguing and wonderful is all the new (and a handful of old) comrades. Reuniting with Slash’s Blues Ball alumni Johnny Griparic (bass) and Teddy Andreadis (keys) alongside new recruit Michael Jerome (drums) allows for a solid band to back him and allow for a consistent backing to every track whilst Mike Clink (who produced an album called Appetite for Destruction, apparently) further ties down the consistency and creates a warm, old-school sound which is perfect for this music. And rounding out the band for the live environment is Tash Neal on vocals who also features on “Living for the City”. The Stevie Wonder number is a bright and bouncy romp which raises a smile against the contrast of the dark story in the song. But it also shows off Neal’s own vocal prowess and if the live show is based largely on this album, he’ll be more than fine.

Orgy of the Damned shows Slash continues to be the master of his own destiny. The reverence for the blues is writ large for the entire album, exploring his own personal roots as well as the genre’s with the aim to shine a light on what is a niche area of music. Purists will likely turn their noses up at it, calling the man in the top hat an interloper. For those approaching it because it’s Slash, it will likely only keep the attention of the hardest of the hardcore fans before they go back to his mammoth back catalogue whilst waiting for the next Conspirators album.

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Orgy of the Damned is released on 17th May

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Header image by Gene Kirkland

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