Slash

One of the many unfortunate by-products of Guns N’ Roses’ slow implosion since Appetite For Destruction is the career arc of Slash. With Appetite,he immediately became the most distinctive hard-rock guitarist of his generation, as recognizable for his omnipresent top hat as the brawny yet lean riffs he stoically tore out of his Les Paul. His playing on “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Welcome To The Jungle” alone are enough to put Slash in the pantheon of legendary rock guitarists—so it’s frustrating to see just how few great songs he’s gotten to play on in the last two decades. Unlike his ex-bandmate Axl Rose, Slash admirably keeps on creating anyway, including putting out his 2010 solo debut Slash, which features backing from every original member of GNR save you-know-who. Along with his backing band Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators, Slash plans to release the follow-up, Apocalyptic Love, on May 22. 

Updated 05/02/2012