“Shackler’s Revenge” begins with an aggressive effect-filled riff, which may have been a product of over production. Axl Rose’s voice sounds good throughout the verse, but contains an unnecessary lower sounding vocal track. During the pre-chorus, the effect refreshingly disappears and Axl sounds fantastic. The vocal melody of the chorus will stick in the listeners head for days after the first listen. The song abruptly stops [2:13] and transitions into Bumblefoot’s guitar solo which is filled with innovative ax-trickery and several solid licks.
Overall, “Shackler’s Revenge” is a good modern rock song. Chinese Democracy will sound nothing like the Use Your Illusion records, as a band is allowed to evolve over time. Unfortunately, it has been so long since the last studio release that the fans have missed all of the evolutionary steps in between. As a result, listeners and fans may have a difficult time understanding Axl’s new sound. 7.5/10
Editor’s Note: This review is based on the Rock Band 2 track, and not the official studio version from Chinese Democracy.