It is natural for expectations to run high for this album.  Guns and Roses was one of the greatest rock bands ever, and STP was one of the best musical acts of the 90's.  While "Contraband" offers some cool tracks in the form of "Headspace", "Slither", and "Set Me Free", it also showcases a lot of redundancy.  Some of the riffs and hooks are recycled, and a few songs sport uninspired lyrics.