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SLASH’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival Kicks Off Nationwide, ‘Orgy of the Damned,’ Acclaimed New Album Hits Six Weeks at #1 on the Blues Albums Chart

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SLASH’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival Kicks Off Nationwide. ‘Orgy of the Damned,’ his Acclaimed New Album Hits Six Weeks at #1 on the Blues Albums Chart

 “The inaugural S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival show featured supercharged Blues turned up to 11 as Slash’s guitar captivated the crowd. The evening closed with Warren Haynes returning to the stage for an encore performance of ‘Shake Your Money Maker’ with Slash. It was an unforgettable night featuring four and a half hours of live music.”
– BLUES ROCK REVIEW
 
SLASH the iconic, GRAMMY® Award-winning guitarist and songwriter has kicked off his first-ever nationwide S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival Blues tour. On the S.E.R.P.E.N.T. trek, SLASH handpicked an all-star Blues lineup with Warren Haynes Band, Keb’ ‘Mo, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Robert Randolph, Samantha Fish, Eric Gales, ZZ Ward, Jackie Venson, and Larkin Poe. SLASH and his Blues Ball Band–Johnny Griparic (bass), Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keys/vocals), Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitars)–also perform on all S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Blues Festival dates, among other special guest vocalists; for S.E.R.P.E.N.T. tickets, visit: SerpentFestival.com.

ORGY OF THE DAMNED


SLASH’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival is celebrating the release of his acclaimed sixth solo album titled Orgy of the Damned. It is available worldwide now via Gibson Records HERE. A first for SLASH, Orgy of the Damned has now spent six weeks at #1 on the Blues Album Chart in the U.S. The new album also debuted as the #1 Blues Album in the U.S and the U.K. It is also #2 on the U.S. Rock Albums Chart, as well as achieving Top 10 Chart positions in 7 countries around the world.

SLASH and his Blues Ball Band stopped by the Gibson Garage Nashville for a pre festival gig. Watch/share as the group performs “Papa Was A Rolling Stone” live from the Gibson Garage Nashville HERE.

S.E.R.P.E.N.T.

The S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival, which stands for Solidarity, Engagement, Restore, Peace, Equality N’ Tolerance is designed by SLASH with maximum social impact in mind. SLASH has chosen five nonprofit organizations to benefit from touring proceeds that will lift marginalized communities and support mental health initiatives that share his restorative focus of elevating lives for the benefit of all. Through PLUS1.ORG, the S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival will donate a portion of the proceeds from every VIP package, as well as every ticket sold, directly to NAMI the National Alliance on Mental Illness, The Equal Justice Initiative, Know Your Rights Camp, The Greenlining Institute, and War Child.

 
The goal of the SLASH’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T. festival is to bring music fans together in these divisive times to celebrate the spirit of the Blues, and for SLASH and his band to collaborate and perform with other Blues artists he admires who share his love of the genre. For details on all S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival VIP packages, visit serpentfestival.com/vip.

THE ALBUM


A vibrant homage to the blues, SLASH’s star-studded blues album–and the sixth solo album of his career overall–Orgy of the Damned is a collection of 12 songs that revitalize the blues. SLASH handpicked the album’s diverse guest vocalists, which include Brian Johnson (AC/DC), Chris Stapleton, Iggy Pop, Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ Top), Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes), Dorothy, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Tash Neal, and Beth Hart. The legendary guitarist re-teamed with producer Mike Clink, and Johnny Griparic (bass), Teddy ‘ZigZag’ Andreadis (keys/vocals), Michael Jerome (drums), and Tash Neal (vocals/guitar) formed SLASH’s Blues Ball Band in the studio and on the road.
 
Acclaim from the press continues to roll in for SLASH’s Orgy of the Damned, with current cover stories out now in Premier Guitar, Guitar World, and the Los Angeles Times, among many others.

While recording Orgy of the Damned, everything was played live in the room, with an emphasis on improvisation which resulted in a striking collection of energized songs that are vital and raw. Highlights include “Oh Well” with outlaw country star Chris Stapleton’s gritty vocals on the beloved early Peter Green/Fleetwood Mac tune, listen HERE, and the Howlin’ Wolf-penned first single “Killing Floor” an electrifying collaboration with Brian Johnson of AC/DC on vocals, and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith on harmonica, listen HERE. 

“Hoochie Coochie Man,”–written by Willie Dixon and made famous by Muddy Waters–showcases the album’s powerful in-the-moment nature with Z.Z. Top’s Billy F. Gibbons stepping in on vocals and guitar. Gary Clark Jr. joins in for a rowdy take on Robert Johnson’s “Crossroads,” while Beth Hart stuns on the twanging and soulful rendition of T. Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday,” and Iggy Pop’s vocals soothe the soul on a unique version of “Awful Dream” by Lightnin’ Hopkins. Some of the songs, like Steppenwolf’s “The Pusher,” Charlie Segar’s “Key to the Highway,” and Albert King’s “Born Under a Bad Sign,” had been performed by Slash’s Blues Ball, while others, including like Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” with powerful vocals from Tash Neal, were long-time favorites for SLASH.

CRITICS LOVE IT

“an all-star blues party, Orgy of the Damned is a celebration of the genre that has had a deeply influential impact on Slash’s own style.”
 –GUITAR WORLD

MORE ACCOLADES


“Orgy of the Damned is a who’s who of hard rock: Paul Rodgers, Steven Tyler, Billy Gibbons, Iggy Pop. There’s also Demi Lovato, the rock-loving pop star who gives a powerhouse performance of the Temptations’ ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone.’ …[Papa] shows Slash working the talk box with his guitar and playing a wah-wah-wah solo (that’s extra wah), plumbing new depths of soul in the song. But the clip also shows Lovato’s intensity as she reads the lyrics about making sense of an absent father and finding her own meaning in words like, And when he died, all he left us was alone. Her voice even climbs to the same height as Slash’s guitar for the final solo.”–ROLLING STONE 


“Chris Robinson sounds about 100 years old on a fabulously grizzled take on ‘The Pusher’, Billy Gibbons glides over ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’, and Brian Johnson does his best Tom Jones on ‘Killing Floor’. And Chris Stapleton outsings them all on ‘Oh Well.’ As is only right and just, Slash is the star of his own show, and he’s chosen material to showcase his guitar pyrotechnics.”–CLASSIC ROCK
 
“A fascinating listen. While Beth Hart brings her incredible vocal range to ‘Stormy Monday,’ Paul Rodgers lays his smooth vocals over the jaunty rhythms of ‘Born Under a Bad Sign,’ and Slash serving as the connective tissue between each song, the album itself is able to explore different blues sounds and styles in accordance with how each of the chosen singers meshes with the material. Orgy of the Damned presents blues fans with an exciting way to hear new takes on favorite songs.”
 –BLUES ROCK REVIEW
 
“Orgy Of The Damned serves as an authentic bridge from his musical roots to his many hard rock endeavors. …most importantly to Slash, it goes back to what has always been at the heart of his playing: the blues.”–GRAMMY MAGAZINE
 
“Stapleton’s voice, one of country music’s most powerful, blends perfectly with Slash’s dirty blues playing on the song [‘Oh Well’], written by Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green and first released by the Mac in 1969.” –ROLLING STONE

 

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