This series was devised precisely for releases like this one. With a band like Velvet Revolver you are likely to hear various opinions. So it's a natural for us to feature this one as a tag team review project. We start out with three reviews for the album, but we may add a few more if other antiMUSIC writers wish to contribute in the coming weeks.

Velvet Revolver � Contraband
Label: RCA
 

Justin McConkey starts us off - he gave it a rating of 

I�ve been hearing quite a bit of hype surrounding Velvet Revolver, most of it involving the impact they�re going to have on the unassuming music wasteland that lies before them. I�d like to first point out that it is true, the current musical landscape is a wasteland and it�s also true that Velvet Revolver are a monster of a band complete with raging guitars, hum-able melodies, scorching leads, a pounding rhythm section that has just enough swagger to keep your head moving, and vocals that beg to be sung out of tune at the top of your lungs in your car with the windows rolled down. 

Basically they have musical talent and with the likes of Scott Weiland (Stone Temple Pilots), Slash, Duff McKagen (both of Guns N� Roses), Dave Kushner and Matt Sorum (Guns N� Roses/The Cult) I think that should kind of go without saying. But unfortunately talent rarely ever equates impact. So let�s try to forget whatever hype we�ve heard for the remainder of this review and talk about the music because at the end of the day, if this is to be a truly important record is based solely on whether or not it�s still in your CD player. And this one will be.

First off this is a rock disc, so if you don�t like rock then I will save you the trouble of reading on and tell you right now that you will not dig Velvet Revolver. It�s got fairly conventional rock riffs that will be familiar to anyone who�s a fan of either STP or GnR. It�s got blistering solos with plenty of divine fretwork from the magical fingers of Slash. 

It�s got an overload of rock numbers as compared to the slower, more introspective numbers. But most importantly, it�s got flaws. Good, genuine, honest flaws. It sounds like a band finding it�s feet, working hard at their craft; a band destined for an even better release the next time out. I remember Appetite for Destruction. I remember thinking god it�s got about 8 great songs, but a couple real clunkers, but I can�t wait for the next release cause at least it�s got some heart, at least it feels real. Unfortunately GnR never really blessed us with anything like that again, but I think VR will. They seem like a band that�s hungry for the road, a band ready to make fans the old fashioned way... by beating them over the head until they beg for mercy. So buy this disc and enjoy it for the moments where everyone in the band clicks and it feels like the music is actually transcending time as you listen, but love it for its imperfections because it means they�ve got room to grow and we've got something to look forward to. Lets just hope they stay hungry enough to keep striving to achieve that elusive perfect record.
 

Brad Podray's Review - He gave it a Rating of 

Let me first say that I am reviewing this album straight through, writing this review exactly as I'm listening to each individual track.  In doing this, the nature of the review may go from negative to extremely positive very quickly if I suddenly hear something that really kicks ass.  So far, such a change does not seem like it's coming anytime soon.  Part of the great thing about starting a new band and releasing fresh new songs is the chance to really release something new right?  Well, it appears I'm hearing anything but new music.  So far, "Sucker Train Blues" seems like the rock song I've heard seventeen times before on a high-budget car commercial or trailer for the newest pop-teen movie.  Wait.  A guitar solo?  I was beginning to think that new bands had forgotten this relic of music's past.   

Despite my dislike of the music in general and my view of it as Scott Weiland cookie-cutter work, I have to enjoy the fact that a popular band actually had the balls to bring this back.  One point goes to Velvet Revolver for the guitar solo, but that point is quickly taken away when I realize it doesn't really change my opinion of the album.  The same breakdowns, song structure, catchy chorus lines that everyone can remember, and angst-driven lyrics that are found here are also found everywhere.  Perhaps I just got used to the Scott Weiland formula of droning verse lyrics contrasted with higher octave yelling during the choruses.  Lets not forget the obligatory slow song that has to go on every hard rock album.  In this case, the slow, heartfelt "Loving the Alien" has about as much innovation as, well, every other song on the album.  With the exception of the guitar solos, this album seems musically written just so 16 year olds with their guitars could go on their local guitar tabs website and play their favorite Velvet Revolver song perfectly.  

Let me take this moment to say once more,  THANK YOU VELVET REVOLVER FOR THE SOLOS!  Slash does an absolutely bang-up job showing off the stuff that's made him a legend.  Now I believe velvet revolver would be absolutely amazing if the following things were changed: Vocals, Song structure, added in some cow moos every 30 seconds(c'mon.  Everyone loves cows and  NOBODY's done that!), That's it.

Sure to please: Probably everyone who listens to their local hard rock station and really enjoys it.
Sure to disappoint: Me.
Best track: I can't really pick.  They're all pretty much the same thing...with the exception of some badass guitar work.

Review Rating(of 5): 2.5   ...all because of the guitar solos.

antiGUY's Review - He gave it a Rating of 

Since I am sure that my fellow anti-scribs will be checking in with their reviews, I will keep this short and sweet. A lot of people are looking to Velvet Revolver to be different things: The second coming of Guns N� Roses � the messiahs of hard rock � the biggest supergroup to hit the planet since (fill in the blanks).  So expectations are gonna be real high for this one. I had to force myself to throw those expectations out of the window when I gave this disc a few spins. I�m glad I did because nothing ever lives up to your expectations. With that being said, this is a good solid hard rock record. You are not going to get GNR II, no matter where you look. For one, two key players are not involved, Axl and Izzy (well, Izzy was in a way but it was his songs that helped make AFD such a breakthrough album), plus back in 1987 you had a group of young guys hungry for stardom and angry at the world. It�s 2004 and while they still have their trials and tribulations, the ex Gunners don�t need to a hit record to succeed. No, instead you have an album from a group of musicians that seem to be doing it not to prove anything to anyone but for love of playing the music. I admit when I heard �Slither� my first reaction was �so what?�.  It didn�t blow me away, but after hearing the full CD, it really grew on my instantly. The songs do not standout the way that most of the tracks on AFD did BUT the album stands out as a whole. Like I said earlier, it�s a good solid rocker. Those expecting GNR II might be disappointed, Scott Weiland is many things, but vocally he is cut from a very different cloth than Axl. He brings to the table a much different dynamic and a pop sensibility that Axl never had. While with Axl you got the primal screams and Katherine Hepburn like slower moments, with Scott you also get power but it is engulfed by his textured harmonies. Not a bad thing by a long shot and that�s one thing that helps keep Velvet Revolver from being a simple spin-off or a boring supergroup but instead gives them their own identity.  If you can suspend your expectations and give this disc an honest listen, you will find a lot of love. It may not be AFD but it is not 1987 and this is far better than most rock records we�ve had in a while.  

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