This was one of the albums during the '80s which propelled metal to new heights. Guns 'n' Roses hit the scene big time with their blend of good time rock n' roll injected with a huge dose of LA sleaze, but in Axl Rose there was more than just attitude, put a fair set of lungs to match. Hordes of bands imitated, and for several years the cowboy boots, Jack Daniels swiggers, bandanna's and sleazy anthems ruled the roost, pushing the more satanic metal brigade to the back and the corny edge of metal gradually Bean to fade.'Appetite...' was certainly a metal milestone, and to this day remains a classic record, but beneath the hype was a record that although rocked the Heaven's, wasn't a patch on the cooler yet far less successful bands such as Love/Hate.
Of course, tracks such as 'Welcome To The Jungle', 'Sweet Child O Mine', and the thumping 'Paradise City' have become huge household hits, timeless rock tunes with Axl's sneer, the amazing guitar work of Slash, and this is without mentioning the rest of the record which is pretty faultless, with no filler tracks, and 100% ballsy rock n' roll all the way to the bank.
Whether there is any substance behind the hits is a question that remains unanswered, because after the reasonable 'Lies' album, the band went rapidly down hill, recording the overblown 'Use Your Illusion' doubles and then, at the time of writing, nothing, just Axl all alone without a leg to stand on and those he ousted making careers for themselves in various rock pursuits.
Personal faves on 'Appetite...' are the swaggering 'Mr Brownstone' and hip-shaking ' My Michelle' but each track is top-notch party rock, with the familiar themes of LA rock being women, drugs, street life and strip joints.
Whilst I strongly recommend this album to every fan of hard rock music, I'd also check out a host of other cooler bands who were bereft of the soap opera image that came with Gn'R.
8.5/10
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