On top of that, Slash is currently streaming his sophomore solo album in full over at Rolling Stone. Listen here.

The former Guns N’ Roses guitarist will be playing a sold-out show at New York’s Irving Plaza on May 22 to celebrate the release ofApocalyptic Love. Fans not able to attend will be happy to know that the show will be live streamed on GuitarWorld.com next Tuesday night.

Apocalyptic Love is out May 22.

Check out “You’re a Lie” off Apocalyptic Love, live at the 2012 Golden Gods, below:

Upcoming Guitar Center Sessions 2012 Episode Schedule:

• May 18th     Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators
• June 1st      The All-American Rejects
•  June 15th    Colbie Caillat
• June 29th    Alanis Morissette
• July 13th      Megadeth
• July 27th      Switchfoot
• August 10th Sublime with Rome

For fans who’ve tracked the broken glass and ruby slipper journey of Guns N’ Roses’ lead guitarist since the release of Appetite for Destruction two days before his 22nd birthday 25 years ago this July, one can’t help but be radioactive with enthusiasm. Apocalyptic Love is not just a new record by the storied musician with the black top hat and magical gift for riff; for Slash and his three co-conspirators, it is, indeed, destiny. And everyone involved is poised for the ride.

“The entire album was recorded like a live performance record where the band was all set up together in the big room,” observes producer Eric Valentine, whose Barefoot Recording Studios in Hollywood provided the fertile sonic soil for Love to blossom. “Slash played his solos live as the drums were going down. The vocals were overdubbed because Myles Kennedy was playing rhythm guitar live. The whole thing is Todd Kerns’ bass, Brent Fitz’s drums, and two main guitars. Slash played the solos while the band was jamming so we didn’t have to go back and overdub solos either, which he really dug.”

“It was important to capture the essence in that big room because as long as I’ve been doing studio recordings, I’ve always wanted to keep my guitar tracks from the actual live playing with the band,” adds Slash. “And I’ve kind of re-done them because I never enjoyed playing with headphones on. So Eric built this small room within the main room just for me, which he called the Slash Box, where I could play my parts and solos and still see the band, which worked great.”

The liberated feel of Apocalyptic Love is evident throughout the LP’s 13 songs, as is the genuine chemistry between Slash and Kennedy. The evolution of their creative relationship went full throttle since the two first joined forces on Slash’s 2010 self-titled debut solo release where the Alter Bridge frontman lent his pipes to the cavalcade of venerable guest vocalists, which included Iggy Pop, Ian Astbury, and Ozzy Osbourne.

The Slash/Kennedy collaboration started from intuition. “I contacted him out of the blue, sent him one of the songs I was working on, which turned out later to be ‘Starlight.’” After Myles contributed his ideas and sent it back to Slash, creative forces congealed. “I went, ‘Wow, now that’s really good,” Slash recalls. “I played it for Eric so we flew Myles out to track it and this unassuming mild mannered guy shows up, similar in demeanor to me, sort of quiet, not really explosive in personality. He then nailed ‘Back from Cali.’ It was like, ‘You ready to go on tour with us?’ I was so happy when he accepted the offer.” For the Boston-born lead singer, the gig was an opportunity to expand his personal portfolio while exploring some musical synergy with an artist he’d long admired.

The modern master of the Gibson needed a rhythm section to flesh out his frenetic and fanciful chords. After auditioning a lot of drummers, he settled on Brent Fitz. “He was perfect,” Slash enthuses. “And Brent introduced me to Todd Kerns, who was not only an awesome bass player but he sings like a motherfucker. It was really magical–a throw-together band that was just right.”

Kennedy and Slash quickly discovered they possessed profound creative chemistry that would spawn a wellspring of brilliant song ideas. “I’d jot down chords and concepts and play them for Myles,” says Slash. “He would automatically adhere to whatever the track was and add these great melodies and lyrics. We started putting these basic arrangements together and the songs appeared.”

The communion of the two musicians does ring that destiny bell a bit. With songs like the debut single, “You’re a Lie,” “Standing in the Sun,” “No More Heroes,” “Bad Rain,” and the riveting ballad, “Not for Me,” voice, lyric and ax form a holy performance trinity of extraordinary passion, power and authenticity. “‘Not For Me’ might be my favorite track on the record, a labor of love and retrospection,” confesses the vocalist. “The lyrics stem from conversations I had with Slash regarding some of his bad behavior from way back, combined with things that I lived through. I went through a pretty dark period about 12 years ago, experimenting with things I probably should have avoided that didn’t really work for me. That song is about waking up and having this epiphany that things needed to change and it was time to take a different route in life. I think that’s something a lot of people, not just artists or rock stars, go through under different circumstances. It could be anything that’s not working, a mindset, habit, pattern or relationship.”

The dynamic balance between frontmen and their six-string reflections is notoriously precarious. Flammable egos can torch even the most stunning synergy into a smoldering ash heap.The rock-and-roll road less traveled is littered with the scattered carcasses of damaged duos. But Slash and Myles have fused dynamic forces like two elements creating a natural compound of unique rock energy. Their genuine sense of mutual admiration and respect transcends profile and personality. “What I love so much about Slash’s playing is the immense emotion he devotes to his craft,” says Kennedy. “There is a certain ache to the way he bends a note, the vibrato. He plays so brilliantly on this record, as he has on all the records he’s made, but there’s a touch more beautiful pain in his technique now. Being a guitar player myself, I’m just in awe of his method and style.”

Few will argue that Slash has evolved with grassroots relevance and reverent pace over the past decade where he now rightfully belongs in the pantheon of ax mythology, having been selected by a TIME Magazine survey as second only to Jimi Hendrix among electric guitarists. Staying focused on your current musical project whilst in the midst of swelling adulation and swirling speculation is no easy feat. But somehow, Slash manages to keep his eye on the apocalyptic prize.

“I know that GN’R's induction into the [futureusgalleryRock and Roll] Hall of Fame and the 25th anniversary of Appetite are on a lot of people’s minds,” admits Slash. “But when you’re making a record, you just commit to keeping those distractions out of the process. You have to sort of roll with everything as it happens.”

When you’re a quarter century into your career, how do you maintain personal clarity and connection to your fans? Slash makes no secret that he enjoys the tools of social networking and new technology. “I don’t consider Twitter and Facebook a distraction,” he says. “It keeps me in touch with the fans. That’s always been something I feel very strongly about given the opportunity through new media and the Internet–which is of course a double edged sword–YouTube, all that stuff, is a way an artist can stay toe to toe with the people. I never liked to alienate myself but rather made an attempt to let the fans know where I was playing and invite them along to rock out, sort of makes me feel like I was part of a big gang–we’re all doing this together.”

Much to the delight of old and new fans, Slash’s resume builds along with his worldwide fan base. Since making history and amassing global sales in excess of 100 million units with Guns N’ Roses, returned with Slash’s Snakepit in 1994, followed by Velvet Revolver’s two hit LPs, 2005′s Contraband (for which the single, “Slither” won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock performance) and 2007′s Libertad. Finally, Slash reemerged with his groundbreaking, guest-star studded 2010 solo debut. In 2011, Slash was honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection to receive a star in 2012 on Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame. After making numerous session appearances and lending his laid-back, six-string genius to an eclectic mix of artists which include Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronovsky, not to mention Guitar Hero III: The Legend of Rock and co-authoring a bestselling memoir. It all begs the question: What’s next for the London-born, LA-schooled kid who discovered his musical soul when his father played him the Beatles, Stones, and Yardbirds?

“Touring Apocalyptic Love and having a great time,” Slash says humbly. “As long as I can plug my Les Paul into a Marshall amp, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing.”
Not a bad destiny at all.

Story by Lonn Friend // Photos by Travis Shinn

America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal award show is back for 2012!  The fourth annual REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW presented by Epiphone^® will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages. Tickets go on sale today Wednesday, February 15 at 5 p.m. PST, via Ticketmaster, click here.

“Our exclusive collaboration with Revolver Magazine on the Golden Gods event shows just how far Xbox LIVE has come as an entertainment destination,” said Ross Honey, GM of Xbox LIVE Entertainment & Advertising. “We’re excited to deliver this live original content to all Xbox LIVE members globally.”

Also on April 11, The GRAMMY Museum, next door to Club Nokia, will open its new exhibit Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal. Mounted in coordination with Revolver, the exhibit will feature never-before-displayed artifacts including instruments, stage props, handwritten lyrics, clothing and costumes, alongside original album artwork, posters and live-performance and interview footage. The exhibit will also feature a variety of interactive displays. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Revolver to tell the story of metal,” states GRAMMY Museum Executive Director Bob Santelli, “and offer fans the opportunity to engage with their favorite artists in such a personal way.”

Hosting duties for the GOLDEN GODS awards show will be handled by FOZZY frontman and WWE pro-wrestling legend Chris Jericho, who returns for the third consecutive year. The nominees in 11 different categories, plus the recipient of this year’s prestigious “Golden God Award,” were revealed today at a press conference held at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles. Host Chris Jericho was on hand, along with Alice Cooper, Munky (Korn), Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society), Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah), James Michael (Sixx:A.M.), Vinny Appice (Heaven & Hell, Kill Devil Hill), Black Veil Brides, Mike Portnoy (Adrenaline Mob), John Moyer (Disturbed, Adrenaline Mob), Michael Starr (Steel Panther), Wendy Dio (wife of Ronnie James Dio) and pro motocross rider Brian Deegan to announce the nominees.

Beginning today, fans everywhere can cast their vote to decide who will take home the awards for “Best Guitarist” (presented by Epiphone^®), “Best Drummer” (presented by Drum Workshop^®), “Best Vocalist” (presented by Rockstar Energy Drink^®), “Album of the Year” (presented by Marshall Amplification^®), “Best Live Band” (presented by Samson/Zoom^®), “Most Metal Athlete,” “Comeback of the Year” (presented by Eagle Rock Entertainment^®), “Riff Lord,” “Paul Gray Best Bassist” (presented by Dean Markley^®), “Best International Band” (presented by Musicians Institute^®) and “Most Dedicated Fans.” Voting starts today at: www.GoldenGodsAwards.com and ends on April 1. The complete list of nominees in each category is listed below.

The Golden God Award, given to one special honoree a year who embodies the spirit of hard rock and metal, will go to KISS demon Gene Simmons, whose band will release their highly anticipated 20^th studio album, “Monster,” this year. (Previous honorees include hard-rock and metal legends Alice Cooper, Rob Halford of JUDAS PRIEST and Dave Mustaine of MEGADETH.) Simmons commented, “It’s an honor and privilege to accept the Golden God Award. A God is only as powerful as the faithful who worship him. Signed GOD OF THUNDER.”

Adding to the celebration, The 2012 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by MARILYN MANSON (in his first U.S. performance in nearly three years); iconic GRAMMY-winning guitarist SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators; EVANESCENCE; SIXX:A.M. featuring Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE, James Michael, acclaimed rock producer and songwriter, and DJ Ashba of GUNS N’ ROSES (in their first performance in almost four years); and 2011 Best New Band Golden God Award winner BLACK VEIL BRIDES, who will perform their only U.S. show of 2012 so far. More performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

“Every year, the Revolver Golden Gods grows bigger and more badass. The 2012 edition is without question the most epic one yet, from the performers and presenters to the nominees and honorees,” states Revolver Editor in Chief Brandon Geist. “And this year, with the GRAMMY Museum launching its tie-in ‘Golden Gods: The History of Heavy Metal’ exhibit, and Xbox LIVE broadcasting the show around the world as it goes down in its entirety, the event will truly encompass the full timeline of heavy music and span the globe. Epic, indeed.”

“Epiphone and I are thrilled to participate in the Golden Gods Awards Show and celebrate some of music’s best talents – including this year’s performers from our Epiphone/Gibson family Nikki Sixx and Slash,” said Jim Rosenberg, President of Epiphone. “We are excited to share this year’s event with Epiphone players and metal fans across the globe with the show’s inaugural live broadcast.  Every year, the show gets better and better!”

Cast your vote now atGOLDENGODSAWARDS.COM.  The nominees for the 2012 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS presented by Epiphone^®  are:

Best Guitarist, presented by Epiphone^®

• Jinxx and Jake Pitts (Black Veil Brides)
• Zoltan Bathory and Jason Hook (Five Finger Death Punch)
• Willie Adler and Mark Morton (Lamb of God)
• Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel (Machine Head)
• Dave Mustaine and Chris Broderick (Megadeth)
• Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu (Trivium)

Best Drummer, presented by Drum Workshop^®

• Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
• Jeremy Spencer (Five Finger Death Punch)
• Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters)
• Chris Adler (Lamb of God)
• Brann Dailor (Mastodon)
• Tomas Haake (Meshuggah)

Best Vocalist, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink^®

• Sebastian Bach
• Andy Biersack (Black Veil Brides)
• James Durbin
• Amy Lee (Evanescence)
• Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch)
• Jonathan Davis (Korn)

Album of the Year, presented by Marshall Amplification^®

• Anthrax, Worship Music
• Evanescence, Evanescence
• Five Finger Death Punch, American Capitalist
• Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
• Korn, The Path of Totality
• Lamb of God, Resolution

Best Live Band, presented by Samson/Zoom^®

• Avenged Sevenfold
• Foo Fighters
• Guns N’ Roses
• Judas Priest
• Seether
• Tool

Most Metal Athlete

• Gina Carano (MMA fighting)
• Brian Deegan (pro motocross)
• Evan Longoria (MLB baseball)
• Dirk Nowitzki (NBA basketball)
• Mitch Petrus (NFL football)
• CM Punk (WWE wrestling)

Comeback of the Year, presented by Eagle Rock Entertainment^®

• Anthrax
• Dream Theater
• Evanescence
• Ministry
• Slipknot
• Van Halen

Riff Lord

• Scott Ian (Anthrax)
• Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)
• Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters)
• Munky (Korn)
• Slash
• Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)

Paul Gray Best Bassist, presented by Dean Markley^®

• Frank Bello (Anthrax)
• Michael Anthony (Chickenfoot)
• Fieldy (Korn)
• David Ellefson (Megadeth)
• Nikki Sixx (Sixx:A.M.)
• Wolfgang Van Halen (Van Halen)

Best International Band, presented by Musicians Institute^®

• Behemoth
• Lacuna Coil
• Rammstein
• Sepultura
• Meshuggah
• X Japan

Most Dedicated Fans

• Asking Alexandria
• Avenged Sevenfold
• Black Veil Brides
• Evanescence
• Falling in Reverse
• HIM

For more information on tickets for the REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS please log on to: http://www.ticketmaster.com/

About REVOLVER Magazine:

Revolver is the No. 1 hard-rock and heavy-metal destination in the world. In print for over 10 years, the magazine takes readers into the studio, onto the stage, and behind the scenes, providing in-depth information, mind-blowing original photography, and hilarious insights they can’t find anywhere else. The home of The Hottest Chicks in Hard Rock, Revolver also features horror movies, mixed martial arts, tattoos, action sports, and more. The cover of the magazine was recently named by Billboard to be the #1 place to get maximum exposure as a hard-rock artist. Revolver sponsors over 20 hard-rock tours each year, including the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. Its website (www.revolvermag.com) features exclusive interviews, music and video, photo-shoot outtakes, and contests. Revolver is also the official partner of Phunware for RevolverTV, the main home of hard rock and heavy metal programming on all mobile phones, producing new features weekly on over 200 mobile networks including the latest versions of Android and iPhone.

About Xbox Live:

Xbox LIVE is the online entertainment service for your Xbox 360, connecting you to an ever-expanding world of games, movies, TV, music, sports and social entertainment. Xbox LIVE lets you play the best games, enjoy one of the world’s largest on-demand libraries on any console, listen to millions of songs and share the fun with friends around the world. Xbox LIVE is also the exclusive home of controller-free online entertainment through Kinect, making your Xbox 360 more intuitive and interactive than ever before. With an active community of more than 35 nearly 40 million people across 35 countries, Xbox LIVE, together with Xbox 360, provides you with instant access to the entertainment you want, shared with the people you care about, wherever you are. More information about Xbox LIVE can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/live.

About Epiphone:

Recognized worldwide as a leader in musical instrument design, quality and innovation since 1873, the Epiphone Company produces every major type of fretted instrument including electric and acoustic guitars, mandolins and banjos, as well as amplifiers. Epiphone’s new “Prophecy” guitars are designed specifically for advanced players of rock and metal with a focus on speed, tone and reliability. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, Epiphone is part of the Gibson family of brands. For more information visit www.epiphone.com.

About The GRAMMY Museum:

Paying tribute to music’s rich cultural history, this one-of-a-kind, 21st-century Museum explores and celebrates the enduring legacies of all forms of music, the creative process, the art and technology of the recording process, and the history of the premier recognition of excellence in recorded music—the GRAMMY Award. The GRAMMY Museum features 30,000 square feet of interactive and multimedia exhibits located within L.A. LIVE, the downtown Los Angeles sports, entertainment and residential district. Through thought-provoking and dynamic public and educational programs and exhibits, guests will experience music from a never-before-seen insider perspective that only The GRAMMY Museum can deliver.  www.grammymuseum.org

REVOLVER What did it mean to you to be playing in Stoke-on-Trent the day after your birthday?
SLASH It was cool. I’ve been wanting to play in Stoke since probably since Guns did its first U.K. tour back in, like, 1988. Because it’s such a small place, it was never, like, a choice destination for any of the promoters or agents. So this time around, since it was my own solo thing, I made sure that it was on there. And it just seemed like a fitting location to shoot the DVD. It was close to the end of the tour, so it just made sense. It was a great experience doing the gig and it turned out to be, you know mistakes and all, a pretty cool live show.

You lived there until you were 6. Do you have memories of there?
Yeah, ’cause I got to L.A. in 1971. I went to school there and I had great memories from there. It’s one of those things where it’s a very cozy, close-knit, small town. Very English: shit weather, very green, though, and very personable, and everybody knows everybody. And I have my whole British side of my family there, aunts and uncles, and it was very traditional. Moving to L.A. was a fucking shock, you know? So I always had a soft spot, still do, for Stoke and England in general. But it was obviously in the cards for me to move to L.A., ’cause I don’t think I could have managed to get where I’m at, at this point. I just don’t think I would have made the same decisions. Maybe I would have, who knows? I mean Lemmy’s from Stoke, so’s Robbie Williams.

Did any of your family come out to that show?
Yeah, my uncle and cousins and aunts and friends of the family and all that. There was a definite after-show get-together that was a lot of fun.  The show was in Stoke proper, which is the name of the city, but the town that I’m from is actually called Blurton, which is just this sort of small village within the city. And I was gonna go into Blurton that night and go see my old, but by the time everybody had got done carousing, everybody was too drunk and it was too late to make the trek, plus apparently the bus wouldn’t fit on the street. So we would have had to do some walking, so we took off for, what was it, Liverpool after that.

Does your family know you as Slash, or do they still call you Saul?
They definitely call me Slash. It’s hard to explain why that is. I think because the person they knew as Saul was this little boy, and they haven’t seen me since then until I became Slash and Slash is sort of, for the most part, sort of bigger than life. They like that aspect. I’m still Saul in the family sense. But they call me Slash because it’s more exciting, I think. They’re just all very, very sweet and very fun-loving people. And when I come into town it means there’s a concert, , you know there’s something fun to do, you know?

What does “Back From Cali” mean to you?
When Myles wrote the lyrics “Back From Cali,” and I’ll be honest I don’t spend a lot of time dwelling on lyrics, but because he’s from Spokane, and just because of his personality I can totally see him being eaten up by the debauchery in Los Angeles and begging for someone to fucking retrieve him. That’s basically it. I’m from L.A. and I’ve been here obviously long enough and I’m very used to the extremities of L.A., especially in the sort of music and entertainment circles and so on, and you can get sucked into it. But Myles is really, he’s not really that type of guy. He’s quiet and sort of a little bit withdrawn. Not as a singer. He’s a really nice guy and sort of naïve in his own way, so I can see him getting sucked into the L.A. thing and just going “Oh, God, help me,” you know?

I know that that’s something that you’ve already gotten past in your life already?
No, that’s the thing. It’s still very much a part of my life, I’m just not the center of the drug-and-alcohol thing like I used to be. In other words, I was the highest and the drunkest one, and so now I’m not; I’m the sober one. But the shit around me hasn’t changed at all.

Was it an easy song to write, musically?
Well, the way that I got hooked up with Myles in the first place, was I had written and recorded this whole solo record with all these different artists, and I had two pieces of music that were, in my mind’s eye, really cool or had tons of potential. But I couldn’t think of the right vocalist to sing them. Myles’ name had been popping up for years, but I had never met the guy, didn’t even know what he looked like. And then something had happened where he got called down to work with Led Zeppelin for something, and I just was like, This guy must be good. So I just took a chance and just I thought, Well, what about the Myles Kennedy guy? And called him up and told him what I was doing and sent him the music for “Starlight.” About a week later, he sent back the demo with his vocal on it, and I was just floored. So I flew him into L.A., and we recorded the song. And when he went back to Spokane, I started mixing the record, and I was actually at the mastering stage, and I thought, That other riff I have might be really good for him. So I sent him that, and he sent me back the song “Back From Cali.” And it was at that point when he did the final vocals for that, that I started thinking, I’m out looking for singers to do this tour, and he’s probably the only one good enough to sing the diversity of the show, which is like Guns stuff, Snakepit, stuff from the solo record, and Velvet Revolver. He was the only person I could think of that could do that. And I didn’t even know him that long; it was just a hunch. So I asked him if he wanted to do the tour, and off we went. That’s how we got together and “Back From Cali” just sort off happened like that.

What did doing this career-spanning tour mean to you?
It’s sort of a liberating. Since I first started working on that record, it has been extremely liberating compared to what I’ve been doing in the confines of a democracy in a band, you know? So, it’s been sort of cool. ’Cause in a band, the band itself sort of dictates a lot of different things, at least the bands I work with, which is a good thing. Everybody has an opinion and everybody gets heard. So it’s nice to get out of that for a minute and just do whatever it is the fuck I wanna do, you know, and take responsibility for it one way or another.

Now you are working on a new album.
Well, we recorded three songs already. And we did that before Myles took off [futureusgallerywith Alter Bridge], just to sort of have some stuff in the can and be able to let the people that are gonna be distributing the record get some idea of what it sounds like. And those are killer, all right. So, now we’re in preproduction again doing the remaining 14, 15, 16 songs that we have until Myles gets back. And it’s a really fucking great record. Musically, it covers a lot of ground and it’s got a lot of depth. From a writing and player’s standpoint, it’s been probably my most adventurous record I’ve done to date. In some ways, in other ways it’s just so straight-ahead rock n’ roll, that it’s very simplistic. But it’s very diverse.

You’ve been writing music almost 30 years now. You wrote the Guns N’ Roses song “Rocket Queen” back in 1983. Do you ever get tired of playing it?
It was actually written before Road Crew, which was way before Guns started. Any of the Guns stuff that we do I haven’t played in so fucking long that I don’t get tired of playing it. I don’t remember ever getting sick of playing any of the Guns songs, especially Appetite songs. Even back then. I hate to record something I don’t like, ’cause then that’s when you dread playing it later, you know?