The Haunted guitarist Ola Englund has shared the latest episode of Coffee With Ola, featuring Guns N' Roses guitar legend, Slash. Watch below.
Englund: "Had Slash over for a brief interview(he's a very busy man). Got to ask about his new album, Orgy Of The Damned (out 17th of May), about the new digital era of guitar playing etc. An absolute honor to have him over!"
A vibrant homage to the blues, Slash’s star-studded blues album Orgy Of The Damned is the sixth solo album of his legendary career. A collection of 12 dynamic songs that revitalize blues classics with a stripped-down approach, on Orgy Of The Damned Slash and his Blues band celebrate both well-known and largely undiscovered tracks while reinvigorating the songs with his inimitable guitar playing and the spirit of collaboration. Slash’s new album Orgy Of The Damned will be released worldwide on May 17, 2024 via Gibson Records.
For Orgy Of The Damned, the acclaimed guitarist reteamed with storied producer Mike Clink and enlisted the album’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. Rounding out his blues band in the studio and on the road, Slash reunited with two of his bandmates from his Blues Ball outfit in the 90s, bassist Johnny Griparic and keyboardist Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis, and brought on drummer Michael Jerome and singer/guitarist Tash Neal.
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 ZZ 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, energized 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 Damned showcases a lesser-heard aspect of Slash’s musical prowess. While he has always embraced a broad range of styles and genres, the album offers a rare opportunity to explorea 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 will also be available on vinyl and via CD. For more information go to Slashonline.com.
Slash's Orgy Of The Damned is available to pre-order here.
Orgy Of The Damned tracklisting:
“The Pusher” feat. Chris Robinson (vocal and harmonica) Written by Wayne Hoyt Axton
“Crossroad Blues” feat. Gary Clark Jr (vocal, rhythm guitar, and solo) Written by Robert Leroy Johnson
“Hoochie Coochie Man” feat. Billy F. Gibbons (vocal, rhythm guitar, and solo) Written by Willie Dixon
“Oh Well” feat. Chris Stapleton (vocal) Written by Peter Alan Green
“Key To The Highway” feat. Dorothy (vocal) Written by Charles Segar, William Broonzy
“Awful Dream” feat. Iggy Pop (vocal) Written by Sam (Lightnin’) Hopkins, Clarence Lewis, C Morgan Robinson
“Born Under A Bad Sign” feat. Paul Rodgers (vocal) Written by William Bell and Booker T. Jones
“Papa Was A Rolling Stone” feat. Demi Lovato (vocal) Written by Barrett Strong, Jesse Norman Whitfield
“Killing Floor” feat. Brian Johnson (vocal) Written by Chester Burnett *Special guest Steven Tyler on harmonica.
“Living For The City” feat. Tash Neal (vocal) Written by Stevie Wonder *Special guest background vocals: Jenna Bell, Jessie Payo
“Stormy Monday” feat. Beth Hart (vocal) Written by T-Bone Walker
“Metal Chestnut” Written by Slash
"Oh Well":
"Killing Floor" video:
