The product of former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, Loaded formed in 1999 in Seattle. McKagan (who also plays with Velvet Revolver) pieced together Loaded to serve as a backing band for the solo material he'd been writing in the mid-90s. The music the four-piece creates is certainly rooted in the styles of McKagan's former and current projects, but contains enough subtle differences to keep it from being a total rehash. Heavy, guitar-driven hard rock, melodic pop rock and the occasional power ballad is pretty much the extent of Duff McKagan's Loaded--but devoted fans of the musician probably won't be looking for much else anyway. The group's debut LP, Dark Days, was released in 2001.
