Fascinating the letter ‘K’ as a replacement for ‘ch’ is, it does pull back to the dad rock generation, and not in a satisfying way. Guns ‘n’ Roses return and drag along the rotting, used-up talents they once held. A new EP from Slash and Axl Rose may not have been on the bingo card of this year, but here it is. Hard Skool. Four tracks from the minds behind Welcome to the Jungle. There are no fun and games on Hard Skool though, a four-track piece that relies more on the old school than that hard, harsh element found in the prime of the band. Still, how bad can more Guns ‘n’ Roses be?
Not too bad, all things considered. Hard Skool is a completely amicable release that will neither set hearts on fire nor burst eardrums with a lack of quality. Absolutely, wholly, and completely forgettable. That is far better than the alternative, which was presumably some awful nostalgia trip. Guns ‘n’ Roses are technically touring their own past with guitar riffs so shallow and empty that they feel stripped of reason and implemented because that is what listeners expect of Slash and Rose. There is a lack of growth here that will forever cement the pair as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock caricatures to the modern mind. They are unable to expose or remove that label with their latest track, which feels as though it would fill the early setlist of a home-based rock game.
Hard Skool doesn’t have anything to it that can be considered all that awful. The mixing is solid, Slash and Rose both have moments of brief inspiration, but that is all it is. Brief. Hard Skool is thankfully brief. Its eponymous track probably marks the best moment for the band’s brief return with a lengthy guitar solo that gives listeners a break from the lyrics. At least the pair have retained their vocal abilities, and also their lack of songwriting skills. These tracks have the spirit of what made the band so popular, but are not the genuine article. Hard Skool may climb with a rising guitar crescendo, but it is a dud that ends in agony. ABSUЯD is horrendous. A track where the lyrics are instead descriptors paired with swears and then another guitar riff. Genuine energy levels paired with completely remorseless and brainless lyrics. A shame too, since Don’t Cry is a fine song with finer instrumental elements. Its inclusion here feels disingenuous.
Still, this shoddy EP, strung together by two tracks from last year and two live performances of other tracks is not the worst EP to come from this year. Guns ‘n’ Roses can peddle the same sound over and over because they have retained their voices and playing abilities. That does not mean every piece is going to be a hit. These are tracks the band has worked on for so long, so frequently, and they sound about as good as throwaway tracks that appeared forgotten about can ever sound. Hard Skool is drab and miserable but still holds within it good instrumental work. For some, that will be more than enough.
