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Matt Sorum has announced his Kings of Chaos supergroup will be releasing its first-ever studio album late next year, and has celebrated the news by dropping Judgment Day – the effort’s lead single, which also acts as a soft Velvet Revolver reunion.
Written by Sorum, Slash, Duff McKagan and Dave Kushner, Judgment Day – premiered exclusively today on Guitar World – is just as high-octane as you’d expect.
Tapping into the group’s well-established musical chemistry, Judgment Day sees Slash deliver a blitz of unrelenting blues rock progressions, with the odd pentatonic-fueled lick and upper-fret melody thrown in for good measure.
A tasty guitar solo acts as a brief interlude in proceedings, with Sorum’s energetic vocal performance paving the way for more than three-and-a-half minutes of full-throttle fretboard throwdowns.
Accompanying the single is the Judgment Day music video – a hot-rodded viewing experience, which takes inspiration from the 1971 action film Vanishing Point and boasts a cameo from ZZ Top legend and regular Sorum collaborator, Billy Gibbons.
Directed by Brian Cox, whose credits include Bring Me The Horizon and The Misfits, the video also features Sorum’s wife, Ace Harper, as an angel who – along with Gibbons’ character, The Reverend Willy G – guides “a man running from his demons” on the road to redemption.
The upcoming Kings of Chaos album is set to arrive late next year, with Sorum teasing the record will feature original music and even more guest collaborations with “some of rock’s biggest names”.
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Sorum’s Kings of Chaos concept was originally devised as a touring project, which saw the Grammy-winning drummer call upon numerous musical A-listers for live outings across the globe.
(Image credit: Press)
With core collaborators such as McKagan, Gilby Clarke and Steve Stevens, Kings of Chaos have also shared the stage with the likes of Myles Kennedy, Nuno Bettencourt, Joe Elliott, Chester Bennington, Joe Perry, Brian May and many more.
Ann Wilson, Warren DeMartini, Robert DeLeo, Ace Frehley and Doug Aldrich have also served stints as part of the Kings of Chaos crew.
For updates on the upcoming album, and for future tour dates, head over to the Kings of Chaos website.
Matt is the GuitarWorld.com News Editor, and has been writing and editing for the site for five years. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 19 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. During his GW career, he’s interviewed Peter Frampton, Zakk Wylde, Tosin Abasi, Matteo Mancuso and more, and has profiled the CEOs of Guitar Center and Fender.
When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt performs with indie rock duo Esme Emerson, and has previously opened for the likes of Ed Sheeran, Keane, Japanese House and Good Neighbours.
