Dopesnake＜Red Vinyl＞

Tribute bands are a phenomenon that have been going on for decades -- it seems like every town has a few groups not ashamed to take their teenage-styled admiration of a specific hard rock band out of the bedroom and onto a nearby bar's stage. And one of the leading Guns N' Roses tribute acts that represents California is Hollywood Roses (a play on the name of an early Axl Rose band, Hollywood Rose). While most tribute acts never venture outside of the repertoire of their main subject, for Hollywood Roses' debut album, 2007's Dopesnake, the group went with mostly original compositions, as well as a few covers that feature special guests -- Tracii Guns, Mick Taylor, Pat Travers, and even a former member of G N' R, Gilby Clarke. Expectedly, the originals sound very reminiscent of early Guns N' Roses -- especially "My Deceit," "Come Down," "Hell Yeah!" -- while the covers (Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak," UFO's "Lights Out," etc.) keep the rock & roll party moving along. With the chances of an original Guns N' Roses reunion looking increasingly slim anytime soon, Hollywood Roses' Dopesnake is certainly an entertaining alternative. ~ Greg Prato