Sick (Loaded Album) - Release and Reception

Release and Reception

Sick was released in Europe on March 20 and in the United States on April 7, 2009. It entered the U.S. Billboard Top Heetseakers charts at #43 in its first week, selling over 1,400 copies.

Sick was met with generally positive critical reviews. Most reviewers noted punk influences on the album and offered some comparison to that of McKagan's former band Guns N' Roses. Tim Grierson of About.com said that the band "will appeal to those who wished GNR had just kept making albums like Appetite for Destruction until the day they died" noting "he emphasis is on brawling guitar riffs and three-minute songs" but "occasionally McKagan slows down the tempo for bluesy ballads." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic stated that the album "doesn't necessarily rock with abandon" that "it's a bit too precise, a bit too clean for that" but "it does have a kick and spirit, enough energy to power through the somewhat pedestrian songwriting." Amy Sciarretto, reviewing the album for both Artistdirect and Ultimate Guitar Archive, compared McKagan's and Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose vocals, noting a similarity between the two while stating the songs "Sick" and "Sleaze Factory" "blend Los Angeles glitz, Sunset glam and grunge, Seattle-inspired guitars" and "are kicked up by the punk rock intensity." Steve Morse of The Boston Globe notes Iggy Pop, Ramones and Lou Reed influences on the album, stating the "highlights are the riff-laced love songs with a domestic edge." Chris Beaumont of Blogcritics said that Loaded "come together as a solid unit, delivering the goods" on the album. He continued, stating that the songs "may not be the greatest, but there is an inviting quality about them that encourages listeners to just rock along for the ride" and noted that they "giv off a feeling of experience grounded by youthful energy."