You can’t listen to Slash’s solos without thinking about Guns N’ Roses. Yet, you can’t listen to “Libertad” and the voice of Scott Weiland and not think how different Velvet Revolver are from their former self (speaking about the three ex-Gunners). In fact, “Libertad” is quite different even from their first album. And I don’t mean that to sound like “better” or “worse”, because there should be diversity. Though, “Contraband” IS the better album (being platinum twice in both USA and Canada), but the new record has its charms, too. At least it fulfills the main idea, which Slash points out as getting rock back into the mainstream. The most distinctive pieces here are the catchy and energetic “She Builds Quick Machines” (not the brightest one though), “Let It Roll” and “Pills, Demons & Etc.”. “Gravedancer” is a nice ballad and leaves a good impression, too, but as a whole, the albums can’t be defined as very good. Maybe the most distinguishing thing is that Scott Weiland has changed his style of singing. The well known long, opiated, charming Stone Temple Pilots vocals are replaced by new clean ones. These even tend to go into some silly twists, like in “American Man”. “The Last Fight” is lacking personality, and “Can’t Get It Out of My Head” is simply sloppy. The first few songs on the CD leave a good impression and create nice mood with their dynamics, but after the first half of “Libertad” you get it - that’s kinda not the overall atmosphere of the album, which comes a little disappointing.