Exclusive lessons, interviews, presales and features from the GW archive
Curated Newsletters
Handpicked guitar news, lessons and gear highlights
Early Access
Our biggest stories will go to Backstage Pass holders first
Achievements
Unlock badges as you learn and explore
Join the Conversation
Connect with fellow GW fans across the globe
Tailored For You
Lessons, gear and stories picked for you
Sign up to Guitar World Backstage Pass
For the quickest way to join, enter your email below. We’ll send a confirmation email and sign you up to Guitar World newsletters with the latest news, gear reviews, lessons and exclusive offers.
Join Backstage Pass for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.
By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,
have read our
Privacy Policy
and agree to the
Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.
Slash has announced his latest album with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – the economically titled 4 – is set for release on February 11, 2022, via Gibson Records.
The guitarist reportedly wrote most of the material before the pandemic, but finished three or four tracks during lockdown.
The band then went down to Nashville, TN to record at RCA Studio A, working with producer Brent Cobb (known for his collaborations with Rivals Sons, John Prine and Chris Stapleton) and they say the focus this time was on recording live, complete with solos and vocals.
The debut single, The River Is Rising, certainly whets the appetite on that front: seeming to un-tap a raucous post-lockdown live energy – and even recalls a bit of Paradise City’s manic wrangle in its pace-y solo and breakdown.
“There’s two or three songs on the record that were written during the pandemic; everything else was written before,” says Slash. “The River is Rising was one of the last songs I wrote before we started pre-production, and because it was so fresh and has a certain groove and energy to it, it was the first thing we really attacked.
“It’s the newest song on the record, and as for the double-time part, that was something that I came up with and tagged onto the end of the arrangement. Then when we were over at RCA, Dave Cobb suggested we do it right after the breakdown.
“So, we went straight into the fast part, and I just started doing the guitar solo over it. It was one of those things where we were jamming around, trying to fish out the arrangement, and it just happened.”
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
(Image credit: Gibson)
The new record will mark the debut release for the new Gibson Records label and, as such, the brand is celebrating by releasing a limited-edition Slash Les Paul Standard 4 Album Edition guitar package, which includes the guitar, a hard case and the vinyl.
That run will be limited to just 250 instruments, available direct from Gibson.com and some dealers.
(Image credit: Slash / Gibson Records)
Then there’s a bells-and-whistles Deluxe Vinyl Box Set option (which bundles a live recording, photo book, cassette, Slash picks and other gubbins) and the usual other formats on offer.
Matt is Deputy Editor for GuitarWorld.com. Before that he spent 10 years as a freelance music journalist, interviewing artists for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.
