"Next Album" rumor / speculation thread *UPDATE AUG 22/2023*

[Slashrose]

Through the years we have heard rumors that Axl had 3 or 4 albums ready for release. I think this is all a big lie. Axl is criticized precisely for this, he did not pitch anything new. He settled down to be flattered over the years, and forgot the music. Let's be sincere and realistic, the band released 4 great albums, GNR Lies I do not consider an album, maybe an EP with 4 unreleased songs, The Spaghetti is just covers, so in 30 years we have only 4 albums, it's very little for a band that He spent his whole life on the road.

TOOL have only released 4 albums in 27 years; the situation is not unique to GN'R.

Do you really want to compare the Tool with GNR?

[AxlsMainMan]

Through the years we have heard rumors that Axl had 3 or 4 albums ready for release. I think this is all a big lie. Axl is criticized precisely for this, he did not pitch anything new. He settled down to be flattered over the years, and forgot the music. Let's be sincere and realistic, the band released 4 great albums, GNR Lies I do not consider an album, maybe an EP with 4 unreleased songs, The Spaghetti is just covers, so in 30 years we have only 4 albums, it's very little for a band that He spent his whole life on the road.

TOOL have only released 4 albums in 27 years; the situation is not unique to GN'R.

Do you really want to compare the Tool with GNR?

Sure. They're both hard rock bands with progressive elements, GN'R members have guested on TOOL performances and records (Chris and Frank), there are currently long gaps in between albums (9 for GN'R, 11 for TOOL), and both have devoted fanbases capable of selling out performances in a matter of minutes despite a lack of new material.

Your turn.

[zombux]

ehh... GNR really has no progressive elements, altough Axl tried to move that way around 2000. now it's just a classic (nostalgia) rock.
but all other arguments are valid, there are similarities with Tool.
altough I consider 10,000 Days actually a better album than ChiDem

[sofine11]

ehh... GNR really has no progressive elements, altough Axl tried to move that way around 2000. now it's just a classic (nostalgia) rock.

Yeah, not wrong here. I'm actually worried about how...content...Axl has become with GNR being a nostalgia touring band. There was a time where we were lead to believe a ton of really cool "out there" music was in the pipes.  Those times are seemingly long gone.

[Slashrose]

I understood what he meant, but we're talking about one of the greatest rock bands of all time boy.

Taking the hiatus from the band in 1994-2000, they are only six years, still remain 24 years. We all know that GNR is a classic band, like Led, Purple, Sabbath, Stones and bla bla bla, but there is no album that marks the band's return since 2001, Chinese Democracy is a good record, but they have better things inside Of the hat to present to the fans, you understood

[GNR4LIFEJD]

I am under the assumption that GNR is under no obligation to any record company at this time because don't usually bands sign with a record label saying they will record a certain number of albums in a given time period. I am sure someone can correct me if im wrong. There seems to be obviously no sense of urgency to put anything new out.

[DAVE ROCK]

I went to the show from last night in Bilbao.
First of all, what an amazin' show. The band is tight and they're having fun onstage. They're being really really professional as well.
One of the main conclusions i made after the show is this: This line up has chemistry and sounds fuckin' tight (the only change i would do is Sorum for Ferrer, not sayin' Frank is a bad drummer for Guns, but his style and fills in some songs like Estranged, DTJ, You could be mine... I don't feel them at all, I think Sorum would fit better). Axl is shinin' onstage and he is again the greatest frontman out there. He needs Slash and Duff to do that. He lost so many years tryin' to carry and keep the legacy of Guns n' Roses and he failed. This tour, these shows are a prove to that. On the last 24 years he just released an album, not a bad one, but definitely not a GUNS album. I'm pretty convinced that he didn't release more albums through all these years because of the fear to fail and not bein' succesful. Many people think it was because he is a perfeccionist. I don't think so. I think his ego or whatever it was, put him under an imposible situation, to be succesful without the original band, or at least the key elements: Slash and Duff. Yesterday I saw legends in front of me. Not Axl with his hired musicians. It's like talkin' of Rolling Stones. You go there to see Jagger, Richards and Ron Wood. It's the same with Axl, Slash and Duff. If it was Axl with Ashba, Bumblefoot... Yesterday it would have been 5.000 people not 40.000

To resume. It would be sad and silly from these guys if they just do this tour and leave after that. They should do an album and keep the reign. They are fuckin' legends and the world want to enjoy them and see them together doin' magic stuff as they did back in the day 
 

[TheBaconman]

I am now holding out faith we get a Christmas album

How about Axl singing all our fav Christmas tunes

It's a win win for everyone

We get new music

And Axl gets to sing more cover songs

[estebanf]

ehh... GNR really has no progressive elements, altough Axl tried to move that way around 2000. now it's just a classic (nostalgia) rock.

GNR has progressive elements. Some can be found in the UYIs and even more in Chinese Democracy.

The ''early'' fans bitched about the progressive elements in the UYIs. Later, the ''old'' fans bitched about everything that sounded ''not classic GNR'' in ChiDem.

Now, as you said, GNR is a nostalgic act. The band seems happy with it, 99% of the fans too. Unluckily im not a member of the band and Im not inside that 99%

[estebanf]

Axl is shinin' onstage and he is again the greatest frontman out there. He needs Slash and Duff to do that.

Just wondering how many GNR shows have you seen between 2001 and 2014. I have seen 15, of a total of 21.

The 15 times I've seen Axl without Slash and Duff I left the venue/stadium thrilled by Axl's performance, with the feeling that the GNR phenomenon was him, that the rest of the personell may vary but it's irrelevant as long as he is there. And if you surround him with insanely talented players like Richard, Robin, Brain, Bucket, Ron, etc, you get a mega-band.

Axl doesn't need anyone to be a worldwide success, to be one of the most talented performers, songwritters and vocalist in the history of hard rock. He formed the band WITHOUT Slash and Duff, he made outstanding music without Slash and Duff, he sold out stadiums all over the planet without Slash and Duff, he was certified platinum in the US and multi-platinum internationally without Slash and Duff, and that was not the same luck for them without Axl.

He lost so many years tryin' to carry and keep the legacy of Guns n' Roses and he failed.

He lost nothing. He gave the world an incredible album -the best in the GNR discography IMO- and fabulous concerts all over the world. He also showed the world he was absolutely able to step out of the safe zone and create non-standard ''rock-n-roll-cocaine-dude'' music and experimenting new styles. If ''keeping the legacy'' for you is trying to recreate the nineties over and over as a cover band would do... well...

This tour, these shows are a prove to that. On the last 24 years he just released an album, not a bad one, but definitely not a GUNS album.

What this does proove is that you are a disrespectful newbie.

If it was Axl with Ashba, Bumblefoot... Yesterday it would have been 5.000 people not 40.000

Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Luis Fonsi can easily sell 40.000 tickets in one blink. Shawn Lane went to my country once and he played in front of 300 people. Do you think any of the 3 first are greater musicians or artists than Mr. Lane (RIP)?

Geez, the GNR community has been flooded with these noobs since january 2016...

[DAVE ROCK]

Axl is shinin' onstage and he is again the greatest frontman out there. He needs Slash and Duff to do that.

Just wondering how many GNR shows have you seen between 2001 and 2014. I have seen 15, of a total of 21.

The 15 times I've seen Axl without Slash and Duff I left the venue/stadium thrilled by Axl's performance, with the feeling that the GNR phenomenon was him, that the rest of the personell may vary but it's irrelevant as long as he is there. And if you surround him with insanely talented players like Richard, Robin, Brain, Bucket, Ron, etc, you get a mega-band.

Axl doesn't need anyone to be a worldwide success, to be one of the most talented performers, songwritters and vocalist in the history of hard rock. He formed the band WITHOUT Slash and Duff, he made outstanding music without Slash and Duff, he sold out stadiums all over the planet without Slash and Duff, he was certified platinum in the US and multi-platinum internationally without Slash and Duff, and that was not the same luck for them without Axl.

He lost so many years tryin' to carry and keep the legacy of Guns n' Roses and he failed.

He lost nothing. He gave the world an incredible album -the best in the GNR discography IMO- and fabulous concerts all over the world. He also showed the world he was absolutely able to step out of the safe zone and create non-standard ''rock-n-roll-cocaine-dude'' music and experimenting new styles. If ''keeping the legacy'' for you is trying to recreate the nineties over and over as a cover band would do... well...

This tour, these shows are a prove to that. On the last 24 years he just released an album, not a bad one, but definitely not a GUNS album.

What this does proove is that you are a disrespectful newbie.

If it was Axl with Ashba, Bumblefoot... Yesterday it would have been 5.000 people not 40.000

Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Luis Fonsi can easily sell 40.000 tickets in one blink. Shawn Lane went to my country once and he played in front of 300 people. Do you think any of the 3 first are greater musicians or artists than Mr. Lane (RIP)?

Geez, the GNR community has been flooded with these noobs since january 2016...

Esteban
there is no need to be a dick
I know it hurts to Axl's hardcore fans like you, I'm not a newbie, but this tour is a massive success because Slash and Duff are there. If it was Axl and Bumble, Ashba... it wouldn't have been. That's a fact. I saw Axl in 2006 and it was great. But this is another level of expectation. You can see on people's faces, comments... The dozens of thousands that are going to these shows go to see the band they felt in love

And come'on
CD the best album of GNR catalogue?? 
Joke of the day man, joke of the day

[pilferk]

3 - UYI were in fact one album split in two. so there goes AFD, UYI, ChiDem, and that's it. yeah, a few EPs too (Suicide EP, semi-official japan Live from the Jungle, then Lies which were 1/2 still the Suicide EP)

UYI is debateable.  It was released in 2 separate packages, and is considered 2 separate albums by RIAA, Billboard, etc.  It was a simultaneous release, and was largely recorded at the same time, so there is some point about original creative process in there, I guess.

I'd call it 2 albums, because, in general, you're talking about sheer amount of material. YMMV.

[Slashrose]

Axl is shinin' onstage and he is again the greatest frontman out there. He needs Slash and Duff to do that.

Just wondering how many GNR shows have you seen between 2001 and 2014. I have seen 15, of a total of 21.

The 15 times I've seen Axl without Slash and Duff I left the venue/stadium thrilled by Axl's performance, with the feeling that the GNR phenomenon was him, that the rest of the personell may vary but it's irrelevant as long as he is there. And if you surround him with insanely talented players like Richard, Robin, Brain, Bucket, Ron, etc, you get a mega-band.

Axl doesn't need anyone to be a worldwide success, to be one of the most talented performers, songwritters and vocalist in the history of hard rock. He formed the band WITHOUT Slash and Duff, he made outstanding music without Slash and Duff, he sold out stadiums all over the planet without Slash and Duff, he was certified platinum in the US and multi-platinum internationally without Slash and Duff, and that was not the same luck for them without Axl.

He lost so many years tryin' to carry and keep the legacy of Guns n' Roses and he failed.

He lost nothing. He gave the world an incredible album -the best in the GNR discography IMO- and fabulous concerts all over the world. He also showed the world he was absolutely able to step out of the safe zone and create non-standard ''rock-n-roll-cocaine-dude'' music and experimenting new styles. If ''keeping the legacy'' for you is trying to recreate the nineties over and over as a cover band would do... well...

This tour, these shows are a prove to that. On the last 24 years he just released an album, not a bad one, but definitely not a GUNS album.

What this does proove is that you are a disrespectful newbie.

If it was Axl with Ashba, Bumblefoot... Yesterday it would have been 5.000 people not 40.000

Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Luis Fonsi can easily sell 40.000 tickets in one blink. Shawn Lane went to my country once and he played in front of 300 people. Do you think any of the 3 first are greater musicians or artists than Mr. Lane (RIP)?

Geez, the GNR community has been flooded with these noobs since january 2016...

Sorry, but you're being a hypocrite here, the boy did not criticize the old band, but he spoke some truths. I'm not here to defend Axl, but to show that he has not released anything for many years, the DVD in Vegas was a big sales failure, and many fans did not even care, and anyone who criticizes Axl's not launching anything It's noob, it's just fans wanting something new. Respect this and be happy.

 
And I remember that Contraband won a Grammy for best rock album, and it sold very well. And I think Slash and Duff contributed more between 1995 and 201 than Axl.
Slash and Duff worked hard during the years off the GNR

[Virolec]

Through the years we have heard rumors that Axl had 3 or 4 albums ready for release. I think this is all a big lie. Axl is criticized precisely for this, he did not pitch anything new. He settled down to be flattered over the years, and forgot the music. Let's be sincere and realistic, the band released 4 great albums, GNR Lies I do not consider an album, maybe an EP with 4 unreleased songs, The Spaghetti is just covers, so in 30 years we have only 4 albums, it's very little for a band that He spent his whole life on the road.

TOOL have only released 4 albums in 27 years; the situation is not unique to GN'R.

Not unique, sure.  Very few things really are.  But for a band that most people would consider a Champions' League-level classic rock act, their back catalogue is unusually thin. 

[pilferk]

I am under the assumption that GNR is under no obligation to any record company at this time because don't usually bands sign with a record label saying they will record a certain number of albums in a given time period. I am sure someone can correct me if im wrong. There seems to be obviously no sense of urgency to put anything new out.

There is often not a time limit on the material submission. It's x number of albums (and sometimes even that is broken down further...x number of original albums, y number of live albums, z number of greatest hits albums).

But it's not usually "by this date".

It's actually how labels can hold artists (like, for example, Fiona Apple or Ke$ha or Prince or....) "hostage".  They have the right to publish, or not publish, the material they want, when they want, if they want, until you've satisfied the contracted amount of material. And the artist has no real ability to "wait out" the contract.

And even when the artist satisfies "the number"....the label typically owns that material, so if you go elsewhere, you can not re-publish/reissue/remaster any of that material. You essentially have zero control of that material after you leave.

It's a racket, for sure.

Now, I don't know what GnR's situation is SPECIFICALLY, in terms of satisfying their contract.  We know what was reported via the re-negotiation YEARS and YEARS ago, but who knows now?  They could be on the hook for 2 more albums (or 3 or 4) or nothing at all. And if they choose not to release anything, and are under contract still....then the label is pretty much SOL.

[Sillything]

I am under the assumption that GNR is under no obligation to any record company at this time because don't usually bands sign with a record label saying they will record a certain number of albums in a given time period. I am sure someone can correct me if im wrong. There seems to be obviously no sense of urgency to put anything new out.

There is often not a time limit on the material submission. It's x number of albums (and sometimes even that is broken down further...x number of original albums, y number of live albums, z number of greatest hits albums).

But it's not usually "by this date".

It's actually how labels can hold artists (like, for example, Fiona Apple or Ke$ha or Prince or....) "hostage".  They have the right to publish, or not publish, the material they want, when they want, if they want, until you've satisfied the contracted amount of material. And the artist has no real ability to "wait out" the contract.

And even when the artist satisfies "the number"....the label typically owns that material, so if you go elsewhere, you can not re-publish/reissue/remaster any of that material. You essentially have zero control of that material after you leave.

It's a racket, for sure.

Now, I don't know what GnR's situation is SPECIFICALLY, in terms of satisfying their contract.  We know what was reported via the re-negotiation YEARS and YEARS ago, but who knows now?  They could be on the hook for 2 more albums (or 3 or 4) or nothing at all. And if they choose not to release anything, and are under contract still....then the label is pretty much SOL.

What if, a record label is holding Guns hostage and refuses to release their material against the bands whishes? And the band moved on and released it by themselves anyway? Would a label dare to sue them etc? With the landscape of the musical industry  today, with Guns being one of the most powerful Draws on tour, selling millions of tickets. Why would a record label dare to mess with them over releasing or not releasing a record? Guns can do pretty much what they want?

[Slashrose]

I do not believe the band is hostage to Geffen. It's nothing about the contract, there were legal disputes with the release of Greatest Hits, businessmen and bla bla bla, but that does not mean that they can not release anything, it's clear that the various modifications of the band's formation have gotten in some way, but the Fact is that Axl really does not seem to be interested in releasing anything, even the 3 albums recorded that Sebastian Bach said in 2006. We are already in 2017 and we have no news.

[sofine11]

I think...Axl has a bunch of material recorded, some of which he likes, and every once in a great while he makes vague comments to whoever is lucky enough get the soundbite about possibly sprucing up and putting out said material.  I do not think he cares enough to do that. Not by a longshot.  I also do not think he will write and record "new" music with Slash and Duff.  I think that however long they manage to keep this tour afloat is all we're going to get from Guns N' Roses in the foreseeable future.  For some, that will be gravy.  For others who like to see GNR move things forward, not so much.

[Slashrose]

I think...Axl has a bunch of material recorded, some of which he likes, and every once in a great while he makes vague comments to whoever is lucky enough get the soundbite about possibly sprucing up and putting out said material.  I do not think he cares enough to do that. Not by a longshot.  I also do not think he will write and record "new" music with Slash and Duff.  I think that however long they manage to keep this tour afloat is all we're going to get from Guns N' Roses in the foreseeable future.  For some, that will be gravy.  For others who like to see GNR move things forward, not so much.

Perfect comment my friend.

We do not even know if he's written anything new since 2006 when the album was finalized. Black Sabbath announced the reunion of three original members as well as GNR, and announced new album and tour, and even after that the tour continued with The End world tour and another EP with new songs, misses that in Guns. Someone with big balls.

[sofine11]

I wouldn't be surprised if Axl simply disenchanted with labels/the music industry as a whole, and simply doesn't trust them in regard to supporting new music.  The fact that they get "rights" to whatever the next Guns release may be likely doesn't sit well with him at all, and ain't getting us an album any sooner.  We've heard time and time again from both the man himself and others what a decade-long nightmare it was dealing with the label leading up to a release that saw them pretty much completely bail on him once the the Best Buy check was cashed. 

I just don't think he's in any kind of rush to have history repeat itself, and can't be bothered to see the forest for the trees now that Slash is back, and a release would likely be supported this time out. Again, he just can't be bothered with it. End of story.