10 Rock Albums You Constantly Have To Defend Loving
7. Velvet Revolver: Contraband (2004)
Supergroups always sound good on paper, but the reality can be very different. Huge names can just get in the way of artistic creativity; egos can spiral out of control, or the pressure to create something great can cause a group to implode. When it came to Velvet Revolver, however, things couldn't have gone any better.
You had three core members of Guns N' Roses, fronted by Scot Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots. They were two huge groups who helped break the alternative rock sound in the late '80s/early '90s. It seemed like the perfect marriage. You might think Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum would have opted for a lead singer who wasn't as prone to chaos - after the nightmare of dealing with Axl Rose for several years - but maybe the chaotic presence of Weiland is what gave this band their bite.
Their sound was certainly reminiscent of Guns', and critics and audiences lambasted them for sounding like a subpar version. But this was a lazy interpretation. Sure, Slash was doing his usual hard rock thing, but Weiland's distinct vocals added a whole new dynamic.