New music from Guns N’ Roses? After years of touring classic hits, the legendary band might finally be ready to unleash some fresh anthems. Bassist Duff McKagan recently spilled the beans on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, confirming the band’s been working on new material. But hold your lighters – a question mark hangs over the release format.
McKagan revealed the band’s grappling with the modern music industry, explaining, “I don’t know how we’re gonna put it out. I think that’s a question too. Like, do you put out a record? Do you just keep putting out singles? I don’t know what the right answer is there in this day and age.”
Gone are the days of the traditional album rollout. Streaming platforms reign supreme, and the question remains – should Guns N’ Roses cater to the single-driven era or stick to their roots with a full-fledged album? This internal debate has put the release on hold, leaving fans anxiously awaiting news on when they can blast brand-new GNR tunes.
A Long Wait for New GnR Music
It’s been a long time since Guns N’ Roses released a full-length studio album. Their last one, Chinese Democracy, came out all the way back in 2008.
While the reunited lineup featuring bassist Duff McKagan, guitarist Slash, and vocalist Axl Rose have put out a few standalone singles since 2016, like “Absurd”, “Hard Skool”, and “Perhaps”, a full-fledged LP remains elusive.
The band hasn’t been entirely inactive, though. They’ve been revisiting their past work, reworking some older songs. The 2022 EP “Hard Skool” included new takes on classic tracks like “Don’t Cry” and “You’re Crazy” alongside the previously released singles “Absurd” and the title track.
Slash is Busy With a New Album and a Tour
While Guns N’ Roses fans wait for news on new music, Slash has been busy with his own project. In May 2024, he released a solo album titled Orgy of the Damned. This record saw him collaborate with a variety of vocalists, a departure from his usual partnership with Myles Kennedy. Speaking with Daily Star, Slash explained this choice, “It was my own side thing, so I wasn’t dragging my own guys in.”
This solo effort doesn’t mean Slash is neglecting Guns N’ Roses, though. He reassured fans by mentioning another project with the band: “Guns N’ Roses are trying to make their own record and I’m working with them in that capacity, but this [solo album] didn’t involve anyone else.”
For those eager to see Slash live, he’ll be hitting the road in support of Orgy of the Damned starting July 5th in Bonner, Montana.