VELVET REVOLVER LIBERTAD HITS STORES

Velvet Revolver has released their new album, Libertad, and the album was appropriately released one day before Independence Day in the U.S. The follow-up to their debut, Contraband, arrived in stores July 3, and the band still features former Guns N’ Roses members Matt Sorum, Duff McKagan, and Slash with guitarist Dave Kushner and ex-Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland.

On the first go-around the band started writing without Weiland in pocket, and Kushner, Slash and Sorum say that the process for Libertad was different.

“It was really cool, kind of, how we were writing music like we always do. But having Scott’s instant input throughout the whole thing was really a key factor in how the record shaped itself. So it was definitely different. The first time we had a ton of material, and Scott came and picked out certain songs and just put the vocals right on top of the arrangement as we had it. So this is definitely a more hands-on collaboration with all five of us.”

Velvet Revolver had problems with Weiland’s recovery from drug addiction on the first album, but they say Libertad was not without its obstacles, including switching from Rick Rubin to Brendan O’Brien.

“It was an issue…different issues (laughs) Well it wasn’t like, ‘Go find Scott.’ I think in my opinion we were like five kids outside for recess climbing around the jungle gym whatever, and Rick’s style was like, ‘Hey guys, I’m going to be inside, so if you guys want to come inside and make a record I’ll be in here. I think it just wasn’t cohesive to where we were at because we had been meandering for a year and then we just kind of had it. Brendan’s style was the opposite. He grabbed us out of the jungle gym and out of the sandbox and said, ‘Alright, come on,” pulled us by the ears, “we’ve got to make a record now.”

After Velvet Revolver’s July 5 performance in Los Angeles to celebrate the release of Libertad, the band will kick off a tour with Alice In Chains starting August 5 in Baltimore.