Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction

Appetite For Destruction is the debut studio album by American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses, originally released in July 1987 via Geffen Records.

Guns N' Roses' debut, Appetite For Destruction was a turning point for hard rock in the late '80s - it was a dirty, dangerous, and mean record in a time when heavy metal meant nothing but a good time. On the surface, Guns N' Roses may appear to celebrate the same things as their peers - namely, sex, liquor, drugs, and rock & roll - but there is a nasty edge to their songs, since Axl Rose doesn't see much fun in the urban sprawl of L.A. and its parade of heavy metal thugs, cheap women, booze, and crime.

The music is as nasty as the lyrics, wallowing in a bluesy, metallic hard rock. It's a primal, sleazy sound that adds grit to already grim tales. This is music that sounds lived-in, and that's exactly why Appetite For Destruction is such a powerful record - not only does Rose have fears, but he also is vulnerable, particularly on the power ballad "Sweet Child O' Mine".

He also has a talent for conveying the fears and horrors of the decaying inner city, whether it's on the charging "Welcome To The Jungle", the heroin ode "Mr. Brownstone", or "Paradise City", which simply wants out. But as good as Rose's lyrics and screeching vocals are, they wouldn't be nearly as effective without the twin-guitar interplay of Slash and Izzy Stradlin, who spit out riffs and solos better than any band, and that's what makes Appetite For Destruction the best metal record of the late '80s.

The album topped the US Billboard 200 and became the best-selling debut album as well as the 11th best-selling album in the United States. With about 30 million copies sold worldwide, it is also one of the best-selling records ever. Although critics were ambivalent toward the album when it was first released, Appetite for Destruction has since received retrospective acclaim and been viewed as one of the greatest albums of all time.

This album is a 2017 reissue on black vinyl with a printed inner sleeve, pressed in Europe via Geffen Records.