Once described as the most dangerous band in the world, Guns 'N Roses flirt with controversy yet again on their first album in 15 years, Chinese Democracy. The hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners songs may seem a little out of date, but it's hard to deny the music scene void this rock album fills.
The band earned fame and notoriety with their first studio album Appetite for Destruction, a record that produced classics like Welcome to the Jungle and Sweet Child o' Mine.
Chinese Democracy has already come under fire from the central government, with television adverts for their album already banned in Hong Kong and legal sales on the mainland highly unlikely.
The title track contains a number of somewhat inflammatory lyrics like 'Blame it on the Falun Gong' and 'Even with an iron fist/ All they've got to rule the nation/ But all I've got is precious time.' Hardly the words to spark a new student-led democracy movement, perhaps, but given GNR's track record for causing city-wide riots, as seen during the early 1990s Use Your Illusion tour, perhaps Beijing is right to err on the side of caution.
The album features 14 grand and intense songs. Each track features the amazing guitar work synonymous with GNR, starting with the opening track's fierce guitar intro played over the chatter of Chinese voices, signalling that Guns N' Roses are back, and they want people to pay attention.
All the tracks are memorable, and sure to please dedicated fans and new converts alike. The highlight is Street of Dreams, a song that is certain to become a classic. Taking a page out of rock group Queen's book, the track starts off with an Elton John-sounding piano solo that transitions into a great rock ballad with compelling guitar solo.