Slash's Snakepit were an American rock supergroup from Los Angeles , California, formed by then- Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash in 1993. Though often described as a solo or side project, Slash stated that Snakepit was a band, with equal contributions by all members. The first lineup of the band consisted of Slash, two of his Guns N' Roses band mates drummer Matt Sorum and guitarist Gilby Clarke as well as Alice in Chains bassist Mike Inez and former Jellyfish live guitarist Eric Dover on lead vocals. Their debut album, It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere, was released in 1995. For the tour in support, Slash enlisted James LoMenzo and Brian Tichy , of Pride and Glory, in place of Inez and Sorum who had other commitments. Slash's Snakepit toured the US, Europe, Japan and Australia before Geffen pulled their financial support for the tour, with Slash returning to Guns N' Roses and Slash's Snakepit disbanding. Following his departure from Guns N' Roses in 1996, Slash formed the cover band Slash’s Blues Ball. After a tour in 1997, Slash approached Blues Ball bassist Johnny Griparic about forming a new lineup of Slash's Snakepit. The new lineup consisted of Slash, Griparic, singer Rod Jackson as well as former Alice Cooper solo band members Ryan Roxie on guitar and Matt Laugh on drums. They recorded and released their second album entitled Ain’t Life Grand in 2000, which was preceded by a tour supporting AC/DC and followed by their own headlining tour. For the tour, Keri Kelli joined the group in place of Ryan Roxie, who departed following the completion of the album. However, after the final show, Slash's Snakepit disbanded.
Slash's Snakepit's music was often described as hard rock and blues rock with elements of souther rock . The band were also often described as Slash's solo or side project though Slash maintained that they were a band, stating "everybody wrote, everybody had equal input even though I had my name on it." Rolling Stone reviewer J.D. Considine noted the differences between Guns N Roses and Slash's Snakepit on their first album, It's Five O'Clock Somewhere stating that "Guns [N]' Roses typically treat the melody as the most important part of the song, most of what slithers out of the Snakepit emphasizes the playing." He noted that singer Eric Dover "conveys the raw-throated intensity of a hard-rock frontman" and "he avoids the genre's most obvious excesses." The riff to "Good to Be Alive" drew a comparison to Chuck Berry while the musicianship on the album was praised. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated that "there's little argument that Slash is a great guitarist" who is "capable of making rock and blues clichés sound fresh". Reviewing Ain't Life Grand for Allmusic, Steve Huey described second singer Rod Jackson as "a combination of '80s pop-metal bluster and Faces -era Rod Stewart " with a "touch of Aerosmith", a description that he felt also fitted the band as a whole. He noted, though, that Slash's guitar playing was "tame" and stated that the main problem of the album was the songwriting, though it was "still a passable, workmanlike record that will definitely appeal to fans of grimy, old-school hard rock." Malcolm Dome of Classic Rock stated that "from the moment that "Been There Lately" opens, there's a vibe here that was missing before" and that Ain't Life Grand showed "purpose, direction and individuality."
Track listing
1. Neither Can I
2. Dime Store Rock
3. Beggars and Hangers
4. Good To Be Alive
5. What Do You Want to be
6. Monkey Chow
7. Soma City Ward
8. Jizz Da Pit
9. Lower
10. Take Away
11. Doin Fine
12. Be The Ball
13. I Hate Everybody
14. Back and Forth Again
1. Be There Lately
2. Just Like Anything
3. Shine
4. Mean Bone
5. Back to the Moment
6. Life’s Sweet Drug
7. Serial
8. The Truth
9. Landslide
10. Ain’t Life Grand
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