Have you ever imagined how Velvet Revolver would have sounded if a death metal vocalist led the band? Your curiosity can now be satisfied, as Kelly Shaefer of Atheist has unveiled audition demos from his time with the hard rock supergroup, sharing fascinating insights from that memorable audition experience.

Below, you can immerse yourself in the demo tracks, which feature two engaging songs titled “Eye for an Eye” and “Room 169.” These tracks showcase a unique blend of styles that will intrigue both hard rock fans and those curious about the crossover between genres.

The audition recordings, which were uploaded to YouTube a couple of years ago, originate from either 2002 or 2003. At that time, Velvet Revolver, comprised of former Guns N’ Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside guitarist Dave Kushner, were on the hunt for a new lead singer. Ultimately, they chose Scott Weiland, the former frontman of Stone Temple Pilots.

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Despite Shaefer’s signature larynx-shredding growls with Atheist, his audition demos for Velvet Revolver reveal a sound that leans towards straightforward, melodic hard rock. His distinctively twangy and swaggering vocal style draws intriguing parallels to Josh Todd of Buckcherry, showcasing a different side of his musical capabilities.

Discover How Kelly Shaefer Cleverly Navigated His Velvet Revolver Audition

On July 21, Shaefer shared the Velvet Revolver demo recordings on his Facebook page and reflected on his fleeting but impactful collaboration with the band.

“You’ve got to love how the internet preserves history,” he commented. “This captures a moment with me, Slash, Duff, Matt Sorum, and Dave Kushner before they became Velvet Revolver in 2003. They recorded their tracks live at a rehearsal studio named ‘Mates’ in L.A. and sent them over for me to write the vocals.”

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Shaefer admitted he was strategic about concealing his musical background from the band to avoid any bias due to his death metal history.

“I have countless stories from this experience,” he added. “As a ‘Death Metal’ guy, this was a classic ‘catfish’ situation. They had no idea about my roots in Atheist, and I wasn’t about to disclose that. It was an incredibly cool experience to jam with them in L.A..” He continued, expressing gratitude: “I had lost track of any copies from that experience until I stumbled upon this tonight. Thank you, internet!”

Uncover the Reasons Behind Kelly Shaefer’s Velvet Revolver Audition Loss to Scott Weiland

In a 2006 interview with Blastwave webzine, Shaefer elaborated on the Velvet Revolver audition process and his eventual defeat to Weiland.

“I had just completed a record with Neurotica and was part of Ozzfest 2002,” he explained (via Blabbermouth). “When they were searching for a singer, I sent them that record, and they reached out, sending me three songs to work on. I recorded my vocals and sent it back; they loved it, so I moved to L.A. for a weekend. We ended up writing another song and recording a lot of material.”

He further shared, “I really thought I had the gig; Slash and I hit it off, and everything was going well. However, I don’t blame them at all for their choice. I’m genuinely happy for their success, and Scott is an outstanding frontman who fits them perfectly. They probably sought someone with a bit more of an edge, and clearly, he has sold millions of records, so I lost out in that regard! [Laughs] It would have been an incredible story to tell, having a death metal vocalist like me singing alongside Slash. Still, it was a memorable experience filled with fun.”