The best rock album since Chinese Democracy. If this had been released in the 90s it would've been HUGE. I implore fans of quality rock music to check this out. Produced by the insanely talented Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, featuring Scott Weiland on vocals.

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[Edited 8/12/15 0:43am]

So I knew I had to check this album out. The sickeningly talented guitar virtuoso and singer/songwriter Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal in the same band as one of the coolest frontmen in all of rock, Mr Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver fame. With two such world-class acts in the same band, I was tentatively excited to hear the results.

What they have delivered, alongside lead guitarist and drummer siblings, Jon and Vince Votta and John Moyer on bass (Disturbed), is not only the best rock album of 2015 so far, but one of the best rock albums of recent years.

Weiland is on top form here, vocally and lyrically, the melody lines just sing on this album. It is difficult to choose a highlight, as every track has its own merits. Crunchy, dramatic album opener "Small Batch Whiskey" is superb, complete with two fantastic guitar solos, a harmonica outro and riffs for days - this has to be one of the best rock tracks I've heard in years. "Time Every Time" is reminiscent of Velvet Revolvers heavier tracks in places, but rocks harder than anything Scott's former band have done and after a few listens becomes insanely hooky ("tiiiyyyme, every tiiiiyyyme, every tiiiyyyme" will get stuck in your head I guarantee).

"Get On Down" is a truly beautiful piece of work from all involved. It centres around a repeating melancholic guitar motif in the verses before Scott delivers an anthemic and emotive chorus, with Bumblefoot and Jon Votta exchanging very tasteful and understated lead guitar solos, which compliment the track beautifully.

One thing I appreciate about this album is that there's honesty to the tracks, where the musicians work together to serve the songs rather than get in the way. For those unaware of Jon Votta's prowess on the axe, he more than holds his own next to Bumblefoot - which is no easy feat. With two such world-class lead guitarists in the same band it would be all too easy for things to become flashy for the sake of it, but the solos are tastefully done, they do not overpower the songs and sound more like mini-compositions in their own right as opposed to just mindless shredding/showing off.

Lead single "Till The Dust Is Gone" is one of the more immediate tracks that draw you in, with a stellar vocal delivery from Scott, and lots of subtle nuances to enjoy, from the understated arpeggiated picking in the verses to Bumblefoot's dreamy acoustic solos. The down-tempo, almost mournful "Death Of It" starts as a wistful ballad and progresses into a climatic rock ending which keeps rewarding with repeated listens.

Tracks like "Grand Applause" and "Superstar" are brazen slices of unashamed riff-centred rock/metal, very different to anything you'd expect to hear from Scott Weiland, but he sounds just as at home here as he does with his other bands, which is a testament to his versatility as a singer.

What the future holds for Art of Anarchy remains uncertain, but if the material on their first album is anything to go by, there is way too much talent and chemistry in this band for them to give up without a fight.

Gonna keep bumping up this topic until I force some of y'all to give it a listen.