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.