antiMusic.com: Adler - Back from the Dead Review

Adler - Back from the Dead
by Kevin Wierzbicki

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Former Guns N' Roses member Stephen Adler has dropped the "Appetite" from his band's name but the skins man is still just as hungry for a rock'n'roll good time and here he beats the heck out of his kit on opening tune "Back from the Dead." The tune begins in an Alice in Chains mood but ends up thundering along to a pile-driving rhythm, ultimately sounding very anthemic since it lyrically tackles the ever-popular relatable subject of escaping a life of excess. "Own Worst Enemy" has a heavy boogie beat too but overall Back from the Dead is an exercise in melodic rock; every song eventually (or right from the beginning) turns into a harmony-filled showcase for singer/guitarist Jacob Bunton and guitarist Lonny Paul. The pair wrote or co-wrote everything here (Adler doesn't write or sing) and although they haven't exactly reinvented the wheel they prove to be quite competent at pegging today's popular hard rock sound, occasionally coming up with a radio-ready gem like "The One That You Hated." Adler's GN'R buddy Slash guests on "Just Don't Ask;" Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 and Dokken's Jeff Pilson also appear.

Adler - Back from the Dead
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