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Orgy of the Damned

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Orgy of the Damned
A crowd of people dancing in a neon-lit club
Studio album by
Slash
ReleasedMay 17, 2024 (2024-05-17)
StudioEast West / Snakepit (Los Angeles)
GenreBlues
Length69:39
LabelGibson
ProducerMike Clink
Slash chronology
4
(2022) 		Orgy of the Damned
(2024)
Singles from Orgy of the Damned
  1. "Killing Floor"
    Released: March 8, 2024
  2. "Oh Well"
    Released: April 12, 2024

Orgy of the Damned is the second studio solo album[a] by British-American musician Slash, released on May 17, 2024, through Gibson. The album is a collaborative blues cover project with a variety of musicians and singers, including Gary Clark Jr., Billy Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Brian Johnson, Chris Robinson, Tash Neal, and Beth Hart.

The album was preceded by the release of two singles; covers of the Howlin' Wolf song "Killing Floor" and the Fleetwood Mac song "Oh Well" were released on March 8 and April 12, 2024, respectively.

Background and release

[edit]

Slash's first blues works date back to 1996, when he parted ways with band Guns N' Roses and experimented with the music genre in concert tours with the group Slash's Blues Ball.[1] Three decades later, in 2023, he reunited with two of his former bandmates, Johnny Griparic on bass guitar and Teddy Andreadis on keys, as well as Michael Jermone on drums, to record the instrumentals of the album with producer Mike Clink at East West Studios and Snakepit Studio in Los Angeles.[2][3]

On March 8, 2024, Slash released a cover of the song "Killing Floor" by Howlin' Wolf, which features vocals by Brian Johnson and harmonica by Steven Tyler.[4] The album, Orgy of the Damned, was announced the same day, which was available to pre-order.[5] In an interview with Rolling Stone, the musician stated: "'Killing Floor' was a song that I've always wanted to do [...] Brian was the only guy I thought of for that song, just because I know Brian's voice, and I know what it sounds like when he sings in a lower register".[5]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[6]
Blues Rock Review8/10[7]
PopMatters3/10[8]
Riff Magazine7/10[9]
Spill[10]

In a positive review for Blues Rock Review, Meghan Roos dubbed the project as a whole a "fascinating listen", which is able "to explore different blues sounds and styles in accordance with how each of the chosen singers meshes with the material".[7] The reviewer highlighted "Stormy Monday", "Born Under a Bad Sign", and "Living for the City" as standouts.[7] Riff Magazine's Sam Richards wrote that although the songs on the album are "old warhorses that get minimal reworking, there's a reason they're standards".[9] He added that Slash "recognizes this, and most of his guests keep things interesting around him".[9]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Orgy of the Damned debuted at number 98 on the US Billboard 200, including atop the Blues Albums and number 26 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts with 10,500 copies sold in its first week of release.[11]

Track listing

[edit]
Orgy of the Damned track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Pusher" (featuring Chris Robinson)Hoyt Axton7:07
2."Crossroads" (featuring Gary Clark Jr.)Robert Johnson5:34
3."Hoochie Coochie Man" (featuring Billy Gibbons)Willie Dixon6:43
4."Oh Well" (featuring Chris Stapleton)Peter Green4:33
5."Key to the Highway" (featuring Dorothy Martin from Dorothy)Charlie Segar5:09
6."Awful Dream" (featuring Iggy Pop)
5:32
7."Born Under a Bad Sign" (featuring Paul Rodgers)
5:00
8."Papa Was a Rolling Stone" (featuring Demi Lovato)
7:52
9."Killing Floor" (featuring Brian Johnson)Chester Burnett4:18
10."Living for the City" (featuring Tash Neal)Stevie Wonder6:52
11."Stormy Monday" (featuring Beth Hart)Aaron Walker7:58
12."Metal Chestnut"Slash3:01
Total length:69:39

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

Technical

  • Mike Clink – production, recording
  • Andrew Mendelson – mastering
  • John Spiker – mixing, recording
  • David Spreng – recording
  • John Ewing – recording assistance
  • Chad Shlosser – recording assistance (tracks 3, 7)
  • Darrell Thorp – recording assistance (track 4)
  • Oak Felder – recording assistance (track 8)
  • Matt DeSear – recording assistance (track 9)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Orgy of the Damned
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[12] 14
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[13] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] 44
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[15] 12
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[16] 41
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[17] 34
French Albums (SNEP)[18] 12
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[19] 2
Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[20] 21
Italian Albums (FIMI)[21] 48
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[22] 25
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[23] 21
Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[24] 30
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[25] 29
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[26] 79
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[27] 58
Scottish Albums (OCC)[28] 3
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 25
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 2
UK Albums (OCC)[31] 8
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[32] 2
US Billboard 200[33] 98
US Top Blues Albums (Billboard)[34] 1
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[35] 26

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Sixth if counting his work with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Slash Announces Star-Studded Blues Covers LP 'Orgy of the Damned'". UCR. March 8, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Francis, Pete (March 8, 2024). "Slash announces blues album "Orgy of the Damned" featuring all-star lineup". Blues Rock Review. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Hadusek, Jon (March 8, 2024). "Slash Announces New Blues Album Featuring Brian Johnson, Steven Tyler, Iggy Pop, and Demi Lovato". Consequence. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  4. ^ Stickler, Jon (March 8, 2024). "Slash Announces Star-Studded Sixth Solo Album 'Orgy Of The Damned'". Stereoboard. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Grow, Kory (March 8, 2024). "See Slash, AC/DC's Brian Johnson, and Steven Tyler Rip Through Howlin' Wolf's 'Killing Floor'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Orgy of the Damned – Slash". AllMusic. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Roos, Meghan (May 13, 2024). "Slash: Orgy of the Damned Review". Blues Rock Review. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Elliott, Michael (May 20, 2024). "Slash's Orgy of Destruction [or] Blues Your Illusion". PopMatters. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c Richards, Sam (May 10, 2024). "Slash and friends give blues, rock classics tough, reverential treatment on Orgy of the Damned". Blues Rock Review. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Harris, Gerrod (May 17, 2024). "Spill Album Review: Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Spill. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  11. ^ Caulfield, Keith (May 31, 2024). "Slash Debuts at No. 1 on Blues Albums Chart With All-Star Collabs Set 'Orgy of the Damned'". Billboard. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
  12. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Slash – Orgy of the Damned" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  14. ^ "Ultratop.be – Slash – Orgy of the Damned" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  15. ^ "Ultratop.be – Slash – Orgy of the Damned" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  16. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Slash – Orgy of the Damned" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  17. ^ "Slash: Orgy of the Damned" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  18. ^ "Top Albums (Week 21, 2024)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  19. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Slash – Orgy of the Damned" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  20. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista (fizikai hanghordozók) – 2024. 22. hét". MAHASZ. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  21. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  22. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-06-03/p/3" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  23. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: May 27, 2024" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  24. ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of May 29, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  25. ^ "Charts.nz – Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  26. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 17.05.2024–23.05.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  27. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  28. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  29. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  30. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Slash – Orgy of the Damned". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  31. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  32. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 25, 2024.
  33. ^ "Slash Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  34. ^ "Slash Chart History (Top Blues Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  35. ^ "Slash Chart History: Top Rock & Alternative Albums". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
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