A rock 'n' roll heart still beats within Slash. The laid-back six-string legend was clearly the bluesy hard-rock stalwart in Guns N' Roses, so it's fitting that in his solo endeavors he stirs up a dirty, vibrant sound and feel, not unlike the one forged on Guns' Appetite for Destruction.

On Ain't Life Grand, the guitarist's second solo outing, Slash has an all-new band, a young and hungry quartet perfectly suited to flesh out the disc's dozen songs, produced with a raw finesse by Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Lou Reed). Newcomer frontman Rod Jackson's powerful voice shines on gems like "Been There Lately," a rollicking rave-up that finds Snakepit at its best, replete with stellar scorching and soulful Slash solos. Sultry rhythms and lines punctuate "Just Like Anything," while the title track, originally an instrumental written for guitar guru Les Paul, has a sexy vamp fleshed out with horns and female backing vocals.

Though rich with diverse and well-crafted songs, Ain't Life Grand is ultimately a guitar record. Fans of the instrument in general and Slash's sound specifically will appreciate the perfectly utilized feedback, use of the wah pedal, and the insinuating guitar lines. Ain't Life Grand's hard-driving, classic-rock stylings -- layered, ultra-energetic, and unabashed -- may not be trendy, but they're certainly timeless.