Guns N’ Roses 的第一张专辑《Appetite for Destruction》是对80年代末期传统Hard Rock 的一次肮脏的挑衅，其实这张专集在1986年就开始制作，只所以用了将近两年时间，主要是SLASH的毒瘾太大，导致录制工作延后。当时正是 Bon Jovi, Def Leppard 这些 Pop Metal 乐队最走红的时候，带有 Punk 气质的 Guns N’ Roses 推出的首张专辑是带有冒险性的，尽管专辑的最终销量超过 Bon Jovi 的任何一张唱片。表面上，Guns N’ Roses 的首张专辑与他们的许多先辈一样，是一张关于性、酗酒、毒品和 Rock & Roll 的唱片，从这张专集里可以听出他们的音乐最大的影响者就是老牌重摇滚乐队 Aerosmith ，是传统点带些老BLUES的重摇滚，其中还掺杂着不少原始朋克的野蛮粗糙，而不是当时风头正劲的 Thrash Metal；同时歌曲的内容并不沉重，没什么政治啊，死亡啊等等骇人听闻的东西，他们把青少年对于社会的不满，无知的迷茫，无端的愤怒心声表达的淋漓尽致，这也是他们为什么能迅速成为众多青少年乐迷的喜爱的原因；Axl Rose 很敏感，在乐队名曲 “Sweet Child O’ Mine” 中他巧妙的表达了对这个腐朽的城市的恐惧和极端厌恶。Slash（guitars）和 Izzy Stradlin（guitars）在专辑中的表现恐怕是继 The Rolling Stone 最出色的吉他搭挡了。最后这张专集卖出了惊人的1500万张，给乐队赢来了巨大的名声和金钱。随后他们开始了巡演，中途ROSE还曾经离队三天，不过还是回来了，乐队始终并不是很稳定。
 
这张专辑在滚石杂志选出的500张历代最强专辑中排名第61位。
 
Guns N' Roses' debut, Appetite for Destruction was a turning point for hard rock in the late '80s -- it was a dirty, dangerous, and mean record in a time when heavy metal meant nothing but a good time. On the surface, Guns N' Roses may appear to celebrate the same things as their peers -- namely, sex, liquor, drugs, and rock & roll -- but there is a nasty edge to their songs, since Axl Rose doesn't see much fun in the urban sprawl of L.A. and its parade of heavy metal thugs, cheap women, booze, and crime. The music is as nasty as the lyrics, wallowing in a bluesy, metallic hard rock borrowed from Aerosmith, AC/DC, and countless faceless hard rock bands of the early '80s. It's a primal, sleazy sound that adds grit to already grim tales. It also makes Rose's misogyny, fear, and anger hard to dismiss as merely an artistic statement; this is music that sounds lived-in. And that's exactly why Appetite for Destruction is such a powerful record -- not only does Rose have fears, but he also is vulnerable, particularly on the power ballad "Sweet Child O' Mine." He also has a talent for conveying the fears and horrors of the decaying inner city, whether it's on the charging "Welcome to the Jungle," the heroin ode "Mr. Brownstone," or "Paradise City," which simply wants out. But as good as Rose's lyrics and screeching vocals are, they wouldn't be nearly as effective without the twin-guitar interplay of Slash and Izzy Stradlin, who spit out riffs and solos better than any band since the Rolling Stones, and that's what makes Appetite for Destruction the best metal record of the late '80s.