Death Metal MusicMusic and Culture on the Edge

It was a year where Lil Wayne went from being an underground icon to music's biggest star, Axl Rose finally released his long-gestating epic, and a laptop mixologist and former biochemist created the year's most engrossing album.

I know you've all been breathlessly awaiting my review of Chinese Democracy, as well you should. Well, unlike Axl, I won't make you wait it out. I'm all about giving the people what they want. So here we go. I should preface by saying that I tried to listen to this record as objectively as I could, without thinking about how long it's been in the works and how it's essentially an Axl Rose solo album. And when the songs are good, it's no problem, but when they're bad, I can't help but think of t