Contraband

Judged against G 'n' R's peak, Contraband can't fail to disappoint. But it's important to remember that even Guns 'n' Roses never recaptured their Appetite for Destruction heyday, and at the very least, Contraband is better than The Spaghetti Incident. Sure, there are a number of tracks that sound too much like contemporary American, radio-friendly rock-by-numbers, but "Do It for the Kids" and "Big Machine" recall UK rock stalwarts the Wildhearts, with shouted lyrics and punky guitars. "Fall to Pieces" is a classic lighters-in-the-air ballad, all emotional build up and crashing crescendo, while "Set Me Free" boasts one of Slash's best-ever guitar riffs (no mean feat for the man behind "Sweet Child of Mine"). The pleasures of Contraband aren't always immediate, but they are there. It's just that they're often buried under the weight of the band members' histories. --Robert Burrow

This album comes with three randomly selected cover colours.