Duff McKagan's Loaded - The Taking
Duff McKagan Duff McKagan’s history in rock music can be traced back through the hairspray, narcotic induced haze of Guns n Roses, the band that rewritten the rules when it came to downright debauchery and the sleazy hard rock sound that came out of the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles in the late 80’s. As we all know GnR’s success was absolutely colossal but quite short lived and whilst starring in rock supergroup Velvet Revolver with ex GnR members Slash and Matt Sorum, it was time for McKagan to grow in his independence and he did just that by forming his own band Loaded.
Ditching his bass for a Les Paul and a microphone Duff McKagan and company deliver the kind of music that McKagan would always want to write, the kind of rock god that he envisioned himself to be when he was a teenager, in fact if there was a hint of punk rock in GnR’s sound or any other of his musical projects then it was probably down to McKagan’s influence.
Without the restraints of an egomaniac frontman leading the way – think Axl Rose and Scott Weiland – Loaded gives McKagen free reign to direct the sound and attitude that the band possess. On their previous debut album, Sick, the band’s sound was fast, fun and in your face. This time round The Taking’s sound has a more mature voice and is loosely based on a concept of a breakdown of a relationship, although this theme at times can be quite ambiguous. The album takes turns through the history of hard rock with massive riffs and big choruses being the main songwriting mainstay, but there are various other variations on this.
The Taking feels angrier and more temperamental than Sick and right from the first two songs, ‘Lords of Abaddon’ and ‘Executioner’s Song’, a grungy overtone comes out and envelopes the sound and sets the standard for most of the songs to follow. There are some songs that easily don’t fit into this mould and personally should have been left of the album. Anthemic Foo Fighter’s-like ‘We Win’ is a commercial hard rock, radio friendly tune that would fit quite easily on a Nickelback album and sounds so out of place compared to, say ‘Cocaine’, a song with its swaggering guitar riffs and cocky mentality.
Although there is a central theme to the sound of the album there are some welcome suprises including the pounding metal beat of ‘Your Name’ and the vintage almost-Iggy Pop influenced ‘Follow Me to Hell’. There are some obvious comparisons to early grunge bands such as Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, as well as classical punk rock bands New York Dolls and The Ramones but the album doesn’t sound imitated, or as going through the motions.
This album could have easily been cut short of a few songs but it blasts out such ardent punk rock ferocity and sleaze that the songs that do sound different can be easily be skipped without any annoyance.
Loaded’s The Taking is the release that Duff McKagan always wanted to make to show his independence and his ability and it is very much so a token indication and a fitting representation of how true punk rock delivered with a reckless, valiant personality should sound like.