Apocalyptic LoveRoadrunner Records ***

He's the last of the great guitar heroes, and Apocalyptic Love is a flat-out rocker with a suite of songs meant for the summer festival circuit. Myles Kennedy, Slash's touring singer and now full-time collaborator, is not one of hard rock's greatest vocalists, but he's good enough to carry a record with an old- fashioned fidelity to big riffs and fist-punching anthems. This is the sound of survivors at ease with themselves, having overcome the distractions of drink and drugs. "You can keep your high life in the hills, your cocaine lies and whiskey thrills," Kennedy sings on Not for Me. There is never anything gratuitous about Slash's guitar playing. He sublimates his fine talent for the most part, but always plays the right notes. The album's outstanding track is Anastashia, which has a classical guitar intro and Bach- like semi-lead, and acts as a reminder of why Slash is still the man. slashonline.com

Download tracks: Anastashia, One Last Thrill, Apocalyptic Love