Velvet Revolver was an
American hard rock supergroup consisting of former
Guns N' Roses members
Slash (lead guitar),
Duff McKagan (bass, backing vocals), and
Matt Sorum (drums, backing vocals), alongside
Dave Kushner (rhythm guitar) formerly of
punk band
Wasted Youth. Original vocalist
Scott Weiland formerly of
Stone Temple Pilots left the band in 2008. In 2004, the band achieved commercial success with their debut album,
Contraband. Despite positive reviews, some critics initially described Velvet Revolver as a mere combination of Stone Temple Pilots and Guns N' Roses, criticizing them for a "disconnection" between Scott Weiland and the rest of the band. With their single "
Slither", they won the 2005
Grammy Award for
Best Hard Rock Performance.