When Slash decided he wanted to explore the blues on his new album, he was able to call upon an impressive crew of collaborators.
The result is Orgy of the Damned, an album that features guest vocals from Iggy Pop, Demi Lovato, Gary Clark Jr., and many more music icons.
AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson also features on Slash’s album, which will be released under his own name this Friday, May 17th, and Slash recalled the experience of working with the legendary singer in an interview with Rolling Stone.
“I was just trying to listen objectively,” Slash said about recording with Johnson. “When you’re working with a legend like that, if you can get past the starstruck aspect of it, you just have to really listen to see if you have anything constructive to say about how the performance should go or if a part should go a certain way or whatever.
“So you’re just hanging out, and then you’re listening at the same time and trying to get a perspective on it.”
Johnson lends his vocals to a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” (which also features Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler on harmonica), and Slash revealed that Johnson “was the only guy” he thought of for the song. “He’s fucking such a great example of a real rock & roll guy who just loves what he does,” Slash said.
Johnson told Rolling Stone that he was thrilled to be asked to feature on the album.
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“When Slash asked me to sing on ‘Killing Floor’, I said yes immediately,” he revealed. “It was one of the first songs I learned in my very first band, and when he played me the backing track, it was a no-brainer, and Steven’s harmonica is so bloody hot. I had a ball with Slash in the studio, and I think we did this great old song justice. Rock on.”
You can listen to Slash and Johnson’s take on “Killing Floor” below.
Slash’s Orgy of the Damned is out on Friday, May 17th (pre-save/pre-order here).
