New Guns N' Roses Material Leaked to Internet

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Guns N' Roses Frontman Axl Rose

By Ian Rice
Arts and Lifestyle Editor


Portions of the forthcoming Guns N' Roses release, "Chinese Democracy," were leaked to Internet file sharing sites late last week, once again awakening the Guns N' Roses rumor mill. Band leader Axl Rose, the only remaining original member, has kept a tight lid on the material slated for inclusion on the album since work began on it over a decade ago. "Chinese Democracy" is now scheduled for a March 2006 release and both industry insiders and long-time fans remain hopeful Rose will stick to the date. In the past, the volatile singer has been known to shirk time commitments regarding the album and live concert dates.


Upon their debut in 1987, Guns N' Roses helped usher in a new era in the hard rock genre. Glam metal dominated the airwaves at the time, but Guns N' Roses' new musical style and outrageous personal lives spawned a new kind of movement within the music industry. Their unique brand of gritty, more traditionalist rock n' roll earned them a tremendous fanbase comprised of those that had grown weary of all the pomp and circumstance of the "hair metal" scene. The band success steadily grew from 1987-1993, with record sales totaling over 35 million and some journalists even touting them as the biggest band in the world. But the personalities of different band members, partnered with their much-publicized drug use and the controversial actions (onstage and off) of Rose hindered the group's ability to work together. The group bowed out with a whisper after releasing an ill-received album of cover songs, 1993's "The Spaghetti Incident." The rock world has waited with baited breath ever since for new material from the band.


The leak of demo tracks from "Chinese Democracy" has initiated talk about the band again, something that will surely aid the album's sales if an when it is released next month. Despite the air of doubt about the release date, hope still remains amongst music fans. Even former band member Slash has voiced his anticipation for the record. In two separate radio interviews, Slash said he'd heard the album, that it "sounds great" and that it would definitely see the light of day sometime in March. It should be noted, however, that Geffen and Interscope Records (the two labels Guns N' Roses have been associated with) have declined any knowledge of a firm release date.


Rose's manager Merck Mercuriadis has ordered websites carrying the leaked demos to remove them from the file-sharing pool and has slapped radio stations broadcasting any of the leaked material with cease-and-desist orders. But that didn't happen fast enough, as word traveled around music circuits about the new material's more brooding nature and electronic tendencies.


Rose, a known recluse for the better part of the last ten years, has been making public appearances recently, promising fans a more "complex" record and generally seeming in an upbeat mood. Pollstar, the leading concert listing on the Internet, has also displayed a handful of European festival dates for Guns N' Roses this coming summer.