Slash: Sixth Solo Album ‘Orgy Of The Damned’ Set For Global Release on May 17. Watch The Video For First Single ‘Killing Floor’

Cover Artwork by: Toni Greis

 

 

 

 

SLASH:
ORGY OF THE DAMNED
SIXTH SOLO ALBUM SET FOR GLOBAL RELEASE ON MAY 17
PRE-ORDER HERE

PRE-ORDER FROM JB HIFI & ENTER THE COMPETITION FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SLASH SIGNED EPIPHONE LES PAUL VERMILLION BURST VALUED AT $1549 AUD

 

SLASHthe iconic, GRAMMY-winning guitarist and songwriter, has announced his highly anticipated sixth solo album titled Orgy of the Damned, will be released on May 17 via Gibson Records, in partnership with Sony Music Australia and is available to pre-order now.
 
Pre-order Slash’s ‘Orgy On The Damned’ from JB Hifi (available on Vinyl or CD –  May 17) and enter the competition, for your chance to win a Slash Signed Epiphone Les Paul Vermillion Burst, valued at $1549 AUD. 
 
A collection of 12 dynamic songs that shakes up and revitalizes blues classics with a stripped down, instinctive approach SLASH’s new album, Orgy of the Damned creates a singular expression that pays homage to the blues.
 
The first single Killing Floor,–which features Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica–is an electrifying, raucous and gleefully unbridled take on Howlin’ Wolf’s 1964 Chicago blues standard; stream Killing Floor HERE.
 
Watch/share the new video for Killing Floor which offers a first look of SLASH and his blues band Johnny Griparic (bass)Teddy Andreadis (keyboards)Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitar), recording the song in the studio here:
 
 
 
 
 

Killing Floor is one of my favorite Howlin’ Wolf songs, but also one of the iconic blues riffs that turned me on as a young guitar player. I’ve always wanted to cover it in some capacity and this record was the perfect vehicle. But playing it with this band, and with Brian Johnson singing, it was an achievement I would never have imagined back then. Let alone Steven Tyler providing the harp.” –SLASH 

“When Slash asked me to sing on Killing Floor, I said yes immediately. It was one of the first songs I learned in my very first band, and when he played me the backing track it was a no-brainer, and Steven’s harmonica is so bloody hot.  I had a ball with Slash in the studio, and I think we did this great old song justice. Rock on.” –Brian Johnson (AC/DC)
 

By celebrating both well-known and largely undiscovered songs, SLASH offers a nostalgic nod to the past while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. For Orgy of the Damned, the acclaimed guitarist reteamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted thealbum’s diverse guest vocalists which include Gary Clark Jr, Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson, and Beth Hart, in a similar way to his 2010 self-titled solo LP Slash. To round out his band in the studio and on the road, SLASH reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit in the 90’s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.
 
Although he grew up in England, SLASH’s American grandmother turned him on to the blues early on and he was immediately taken with B.B. King. At the same time, his parents raised him on a healthy diet of ‘60s British rock ‘n’ roll, from The Who to The Kinks. Once he moved to Laurel CanyonSLASH found himself surrounded by rock and folk singers like Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Neil Young—all of whom eventually inspired his playing and songwriting. It wasn’t until he began playing guitar himself that SLASH realised all of his favourite musicians had been influenced by the same B.B. King blues records he’d listened to as a young kid.
 
Orgy of the Damned encompasses a broad range of styles within the blues genre, veering from an upbeat, rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads” to a plaintive, twanging rendition of T. Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday.” Some of the songs, like Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher,” Charlie Segar’s “Key to the Highway” and Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” had been performed by Slash’s Blues Ball while others, like Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City,” were long-time favorites for Slash“Hoochie Coochie Man,” written by Willie Dixon, and made famous by Muddy Waters in 1954, showcases the in-the-moment nature and unrestrained energy of Orgy of the Damned, with Z.Z. Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on guitar and vocals. The group went into a rehearsal room in North Hollywood and began hashing out soulful, rollicking takes on the classic songs. Everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a collection of dynamic, energised songs that are immediate, raw, and distinctly familiar.
 
As SLASH was considering vocalists, he approached his old friend and collaborator Iggy Pop, who had long wanted to record a blues song. Pop suggested Lightnin’ Hopkins’ 1962 track “Awful Dream,” a sparse, drawling number originally laid down on acoustic guitar. The duo decided to recreate that stripped back vibe and recorded their own languid, emotionally-resonate version sitting on two stools in SLASH’s studio. “Iggy’s interpretation of that song is actually sublime,” says SLASH. “And it’s something that nobody’s really heard from him. At the end of the track, you can hear him just singing the harmonica parts.”
 
Elsewhere on Orgy of the Damned, Demi Lovato lends her powerhouse voice to “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone,” a fervent, soulful version of the 1972 single by The Temptations that SLASH admired as a kid. Although the song veers more towards R&B, the guitarist wanted to give it his own impassioned spin. The album concludes with a soaring original instrumental number, “Metal Chestnut,” penned specifically for Orgy of the Damned by Slash.
 
Orgy of the Damnedshowcases a lesser-heard aspect of SLASH’s musical prowess. While he has always embraced a broad range of styles and genres, the album offersa rare opportunity to explore a unique side of his playing and bring to the forefront a rollicking journey through his strong, blues inspirations, that have long been in the background of his illustrious career.
 
 
 
 

ORGY OF THE DAMNED TRACK LISTING:

01. The Pusher feat. Chris Robinson (vocal and harmonica)
Written by Wayne Hoyt Axton

02. Crossroad Blues feat. Gary Clark Jr (vocal, rhythm guitar, and solo)
Written by Robert Leroy Johnson

03. Hoochie Coochie Man feat. Billy F. Gibbons (vocal, rhythm guitar, and solo)  
Written by Willie Dixon

04. Oh Well feat. Chris Stapleton (vocal)
Written by Peter Alan Green

05. Key to the Highway feat. Dorothy (vocal)
Written by Charles Segar, William Broonzy

06. Awful Dream feat. Iggy Pop (vocal)
Written by Sam (Lightnin’) Hopkins, Clarence Lewis, C Morgan Robinson

07. Born Under a Bad Sign feat. Paul Rodgers (vocal)
Written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones

08. Papa Was a Rolling Stone feat. Demi Lovato (vocal)
Written by Barrett Strong, Jesse Norman Whitfield

09. Killing Floor feat. Brian Johnson (vocal)
Written by Chester Burnett
*Special guest Steven Tyler on harmonica.

10. Living for the City feat. Tash Neal (vocal)
Written by Stevie Wonder
*Special guest background vocals: Jenna Bell, Jessie Payo

11. Stormy Monday feat. Beth Hart (vocal)
Written by T-Bone Walker

12. Metal Chestnut
Written by Slash

 
 
 
 
 
 
About SLASH:
 

SLASH, the GRAMMY-winning, world-renowned rock guitarist who has played in Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver, as well as his own groups Slash’s Snakepit and Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, has released five solo albums overall, and now six with the forthcoming Orgy of the Damned. After landing on the top of the charts with his first solo album, Slash (2010)–which featured Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, FergieMyles Kennedy, Iggy Pop, Beth Hart, and more on vocals–he formed the solo band Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators who’ve been touring worldwide and making music together non-stop for over a decade.

Since Slash’s first solo album in 2010, Slash has had 5 Top 5 ARIA albums which includes: SLASH (2010) at #3, Apocalyptic Love (2012) at #2, World On Fire (2014) at #2, Living The Dream (2018) at #4 and (2022) at #2.

Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators have released four albums, including 2022’s 4, which arrived via Gibson Records, in partnership with Sony Music Australia and debuted as the #1-selling hard rock album the week of release. Over the years, SLASH has amassed album sales of over 100 million copies, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Guns N’ Roses in 2012, and he was named #2 on TIME’s “The 10 Greatest Electric Guitar Players’” after Jimi Hendrix. He rejoined Guns N’ Roses in 2016 for a historic and ongoing world tour and is currently in the midst of a global tour with his group Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators. SLASH will officially release his sixth solo album titled Orgy of the Damned, on May 17, 2024 via Gibson Records, in partnership with Sony Music Australia. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Follow Slash Online:
 
 
 
 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA