IT would be hard to review Velvet Revolver without talking about Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots.

Some might call that lazy but the fact that Velvet Revolver is basically Guns N' Roses (one of the biggest bands in the world) minus Axl Rose, deserves a mention.

Any band trying to shrug off that title and convince people they're something new and different are bound to have a hard time.

Velvet Revolver, made up of Duff McKagan, Slash, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner with Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, had this problem with first album Contraband.

The album was Guns N' Roses with a different singer and rhythm guitarist.

However, three years later the band are back with Libertad and thanks to non-stop touring it's obvious the guys have gelled and are now a band in their own right.

The album is full of hand-grenade chords, drag-racing riffs, and massive choruses and while not as ferocious as its predecessor, it still rocks, but is more groove-oriented with stronger hooks and melodies.

Stand out tracks include the punkish opener Let It Roll, Spay, Mary Mary and She Builds Quick Machines. There's even a cover version of ELO's Can't Get It Out of My Head.

With Libertad the band have managed to surpass the super-group stigma and now sound like an actual band and not just a melting pot of Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots.

The album proves Velvet Revolver are more then just a novelty act; showing that the band has some real potential and staying power.