Slash Confirms That Guns N’ Roses Are Working on a New Album

Naturally, there’s been hubbub about a new Guns N’ Roses album since founding members Slash and Duff McKagan returned to the band in 2016. Why, as recently as this past weekend, longtime rhythm guitarist Richard Fortus claimed that GN’R would be hitting the studio after Slash completed touring behind his most recent solo release, Can’t Remember What It’s Called but Who Cares ‘Cause It Ain’t a New Guns N’ Roses Album. (Actually, what Fortus said is that the band is “gonna get some more recording done” after Slash is done touring, implying they’ve already recorded some shit, which lines up with some rumors we’ve heard in the past.)

Thing is, while a new album would be a no-brainer for 99.9% of all reunited bands in history, when it comes to GN’R, nothing is ever certain. So every little assurance that the band does, indeed, plan to make new music will provide fans with some modicum of comfort, however small.

Like this one, from a new Rock City interview with Slash, in which he acknowledges that the band wants to put out a new album while also acknowledging that GN’R is an unpredictable nightmare circus (video at the bottom of this post):

“Axl, Duff, myself and Richard have all talked about… there’s material and stuff going on already for a new record. It’s just, with Guns N’ Roses, you don’t go, ‘Oh, there is a plan, and it’s gonna be like this,’ because that’s not how it works. So, basically, the only real answer to give is we’re hoping to put a new record out, and we’ll just see what happens when it happens.”

I think “We’ll just see what happens when it happens” is the best possible attitude to take with all things GN’R. I want a new Guns album as badly as anyone, but I don’t think they’ll get anything out before 2020 at earliest.

I’ll tell you which part of this quote really caught my attention: that Slash didn’t mention drummer Frank Ferrer when rattling off names of Guns N’ Roses members with whom he’s been discussing new material. I dunno if that’s just because Ferrer isn’t involved in the writing/demoing process or what, but it seems like an odd exclusion.

Of course, keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese weren’t mentioned, either, but no one cares about them so whatever.

https://youtu.be/8Tm_Z1uPB2k

[via The PRP]