Amazon.co.uk Review
17 years in the making and beholden of a level of hyperbole verging on mythology--one that couldn't even be derailed by Axl Rose staffing his ever-changing troupe with people named Buckethead, Bumblefoot and Brain--
Chinese Democracy would disappoint even if it arrived in a puff of smoke and nullified the impact of
The Dark Side of the Moon,
Revolver and
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (not to mention
Appetite for Destruction). And it doesn't do that, obviously. In fact, straight off the block it's in danger of rear-ending the Guns N' Roses legend, with the title track offering little beyond big production and "Shackler's Revenge" and "Better" emulating Linkin Park's industrial block building with a guttural vocal that threatens to turn the whole thing into a parody. But a desire to progress the G N' R template finds its feet as "If The World" unfolds into an improbable eastern drum 'n' bass orchestral trip-hop odyssey with some coarse riffing and the attitude of old is run through Pro-Tools and made 21st Century-proof on "Scraped" and "Raid N' the Bedouins". But if this album is to be remembered for anything in particular it will be the sky-reaching ambition of the balladry; "Sorry" with its "Nothing Else Matters" vibe and interlaced vocal choreography is cathartic and proud, "This I Love" sees Axl's larynx stretched and twisted, literally wringing the emotion from within, and "Catcher in the Rye" is one real moment of universal appeal.
Chinese Democracy tries to be a lot of things but really works where Axl is left to be Axl and "November Rain" is left sounding like "Kumbaya".
--James Berry
CD Description
After fifteen long years of speculation, rumours and disappointment, the patience of fans of the one-time "most dangerous band in the world" looks set to finally be rewarded with the release of this, their fourth full-length studio album of original material. Despite frontman and mastermind W. Axl Rose being the sole remaining founder member, the music sounds much as it did back in the band's glory days - grandiose,massively produced, bluesy hard rock with a decidedly misanthropic vibe.