Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965, Stoke-on-Trent, England), better known by h… Read Full Bio ↴Saul Hudson (born 23 July 1965, Stoke-on-Trent, England), better known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician. He is the lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he performed and recorded between 1985 and 1996, and rejoined in 2016. He later formed Slash's Snakepit and co-founded Velvet Revolver with his former bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum. His debut solo album, Slash , was released in April 2010. He has also released three albums with his backing band Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators: Myles Kennedy (vocals/guitar), Frank Sidoris (rhythm guitar), Todd Kerns (bass), and Brent Fitz (drums).

In 2011 he wrote and featured on kick it Up a Notch, the end credit song for The Disney Channel Original Movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension. (Kick It Up a Notch Songfacts). He has written a self titled autobiography which was put to print in 2007.

Slash joined his first band, Tidus Sloan, in 1981. In 1983, he formed the band Road Crew—named for the Motörhead song "(We Are) The Road Crew"—with his childhood friend Steven Adler, who by then had learned to play drums. He placed an advertisement in a newspaper looking for a bassist, and received a response from Duff McKagan. They auditioned a number of singers, including one-time Black Flag vocalist Ron Reyes, and worked on material that included the main riff of what would become the Guns N' Roses song "Rocket Queen." Slash disbanded the group the following year due to them not being able to find a singer, as well as Adler's lack of work ethic compared to himself and McKagan. He, along with Adler, then joined a local band known as Hollywood Rose, which featured singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Following his time with Hollywood Rose, Slash played in a band called Black Sheep and unsuccessfully auditioned for Poison, a glam metal band that he would later openly deride.

In June 1985, Slash was asked by Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin to join the newly founded Guns "N' Roses. Duff McKagan and Steven Adler completed the line-up. They played nightclubs—such as the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy, and The Troubadour—and opened for larger acts throughout 1985 and 1986. It was during this period that the band wrote most of its classic material, including "Welcome to the Jungle," "Sweet Child o' Mine," and "Paradise City," As a result of their rowdy and rebellious behavior, Guns N' Roses quickly received the moniker "Most Dangerous Band in the World," causing Slash to remark, "For some strange reason, Guns N' Roses is like the catalyst for controversy, even before we had any kind of record deal."

Slash has received critical recognition as a guitarist. In August 2009, Time Magazine ranked him #2 on its list of the "10 Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time". He was also ranked #21 on Gigwise's list of the "50 Greatest Guitarists Ever".

Slash was the first musician to own a signature amplifier created by Marshall for him. In 1996 the Marshall Slash JCM 2555SL was launched, it was built with the specs of Slash's own original 1987 Marshall Silver Jubilee 2555 amplifier. A total of 3000 of these amplifiers were made before it was discontinued.

On his self titled album, "Slash" he has worked with many artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie (Black Eyed Peas), Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge), Kid Rock and Ian Astbury (The Cult). The singles released from the album are "Sahara","Back From Cali","By the Sword" and "Beautiful Dangerous".

Slash also colla borated with Myles Kennedy as Slash feat. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators and released a few albums from 2012 onwards with 4 being released in 2022.

Iris of the Storm
Slash Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wanna set into the calm
Where the skies are blue
Are never gone
But the rain keeps coming down
Tell me will it ever stop?
These waters rage but I stay strong

Into the Iris of the Storm

Rising full with the tide
Carry On

Sometimes it's hard to find my place
To face those fears that all most face
But I keep on holdin' on
I wont let this take me down
I'll risk it all to find my way

Into the Iris of the Storm
Rising full with the tide
Carry On

'Cause there will come a day
I know it wont be long
I'm gonna prove to the world that I belong

No more hurting
Skies are breaking
The tide is turning
I can feel it changing

Into the Iris of the Storm
Rising full with the tide
Carry On

Into the Iris of the Storm
Show the world that I was right all along

Overall Meaning

In “Iris of the Storm,” Slash, the legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter of Guns N’ Roses tells us about his unyielding determination and perseverance in the face of the unpredictable nature of life. The song begins with Slash expressing his desire for peace amidst the raging storm, where there is calm, blue skies that never vanish. However, despite his yearning for serenity, the rain keeps pouring down relentlessly. In the chorus, Slash emphasizes his resolve and strength to persevere in the midst of the tumultuous waters of life with assuredness. He finds solace in knowing he has the ability to rise above the waves of life and keep going, even when the going gets tough.

Throughout the verses, Slash speaks of his struggle to find his place in the world and face the fears that almost everyone experiences at some point in their lives. Despite this, he remains steadfast and resolutely holds fast. The lyrics suggest that he is ready and willing to risk everything to discover his path through life's challenges. In the end, the song climaxes with Slash's assurance that he will prevail, finally breaking through the storm clouds and rising victorious into the illuminating iris of the storm, proving to the world that he is right where he belongs.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna set into the calm
I desire to find peace and tranquility.

Where the skies are blue
Where the atmosphere is untroubled.

Are never gone
Is not departing.

But the rain keeps coming down
But problems continue to occur.

Tell me will it ever stop?
Ask if it will ever end.

These waters rage but I stay strong
Troubles abound but I remain determined.

Into the Iris of the Storm
Hoping to find a way to succeed.

Rising full with the tide
Going with the flow of life.

Carry On
To keep going despite adversity.

Sometimes it's hard to find my place
Oftentimes it's difficult to figure out where I should be or what I should do.

To face those fears that all most face
To confront the apprehension that everybody deals with.