Guns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction

It's true... there's no point in reviewing "Appetite for Destruction" when it has already been reviewed many times... but I absolutely have to review this album, my favorite by the Guns and my favorite overall. We're in 1987, in the legendary eighties, years of hard rock, heavy metal, years when the desire to change things emerged. The symbol and synthesis of what was happening in that period is this splendid, fabulous, and in my opinion, also inimitable album by Guns N' Roses. Anger and aggressiveness are the two key words of this album, which leads to identifying the group in the hard rock side, more than hair metal/hard & heavy or even totally heavy metal of the two 'Use Your Illusion,' which are also unique and fantastic. This legendary group has been very important to me, as it shifted my musical tastes to totally different genres from the ones I used to listen to before: from low-quality radio pop to the majesty of rock. The first song of theirs I listened to was "Welcome to the Jungle", which a friend of mine had on his computer, even though he wasn't a fan of theirs. I liked it a lot; it was powerful, decisive, and convincing. So I decided to find out about the group and listen to other singles. Well, since then, their songs have become a lifestyle for me due to their variety: I release accumulated anger with tracks like "Out ta Get Me" and "Nightrain", I spend moments of sadness with songs like "Don’t Cry" and "Sweet Child o' Mine", I indulge in the catchiness and the tranquil guitar solos of ballads like "November Rain" or "Estranged" and I reflect on the world of...(ugh... I don't want to use foul language in reviews) that we find ourselves facing today by listening to tracks like "Civil War." Sure, the legendary Guns were always pretty rowdy due to excesses of alcohol and drugs, but their "sensitivity" and their being "human" doesn't disappear, but remains trapped in the deep meanings of many of their songs. Regarding the musical aspects... gosh, Axl Roses (whom I haven't appreciated much for his behavior) is an adult, yet, like the Led Zeppelin singer, he reaches notes that barely even a newborn can touch. And then, heck, I can't remember a Guns piece that doesn't have a solo by the legendary Slash. Each of these solos stands alone and tells a different story, and inevitably it fits perfectly with the rest of the song. Let's now talk about the specific aspects of the album: it opens with the already mentioned "Welcome to the Jungle"; intro with guitar notes partly distorted and accompanied by a more or less evident delay, then supported by sudden hits of the bass and drums, and finally starting with a riff of chords, accompanied by a more than furious Axl Roses. Then there's the spectacular, chaotic, and energetic chorus: "Jungle, welcome to the jungle..." In some parts, the song seems to stop, but then it starts again with its continuous and characteristic aggressiveness. The second track is "It's So Easy". Initially, the structure of the song seems to resemble the previous track, but later you can discover that this is not the case, and this piece too reveals that it has its own personality. Very angry is the "fuck off" that kicks off Slash's solo, making the piece more original. The third track is "Nightrain". I think back to how at the first listens it gave me a terrible impression. And now I wonder how that could have been. "Nightrain" is a wonderful piece, especially for the energy sustained by an excellent catchy chorus. And then... the surprise inside the Easter egg; the solo: Oh, God... a masterstroke!!! Truly amazing. The improvised notes make the chorus still interesting. Then Axl stops and gives space to Slash, who lets this song end among the notes of his legendary guitar. Fourth track: "Out ta Get Me"... This song makes me have an irresistible urge to tell the world and everyone I can't stand to go to hell. I love this song even more in live performances because they make it seem more and more "exciting" and "terribly" angry. Regarding the structure of the piece, the sudden key change parallel to the solo is notable. Beautiful and interesting from a musical point of view. The fifth track is titled "Mr. Brownstone" and it's very peculiar. It is perhaps one of the least technical, but I don't know why it convinces me a lot, perhaps due to its diversity. Here too, a solo, very beautiful. The sixth song is "Paradise City", which starts with an arpeggio on an undistorted electric guitar, similar to "Knockin' on Heaven's Door." Up to here, nothing exciting, but then... stroke of genius! The WHISTLE!! Still, I haven't managed to find a better alternative for the change with the hard, distorted riff of the subsequent guitar. The piece continues this way and develops among key changes, increases in speed and solos, and in the end, Slash raises the level of technique by performing very fast notes that accompany Axl Roses. The seventh track is "My Michelle", which begins with delicate notes on guitar, bass, and keyboard, then changes sound, demonstrating an impressive rage with a distorted guitar riff and the singer's high notes. Another excellent track, with its catchy refrain "Well, well, well My Michelle." The other tracks are also fantastic, among the arpeggios of the chorus of "Think About You", the extremely intense "You're Crazy", and the excellent "Anything Goes" and "Rocket Queen". I want to describe in particular the romantic "Sweet Child o' Mine", which starts with sweet but distorted notes on the electric guitar (I want to remind you that this magnificent song was plagiarized by Ligabue) and then becomes more rhythmic. The solo is my favorite among all those I've listened to so far (not just of the Guns) and even though it's not particularly technical, I prefer it to those too chaotic like those of Dragonforce, because to me, an excellent dose of soul, heart, and creativity is more satisfying than technique. I recommend this album to everyone.