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

[sofine11]

I take with a mountain of salt, as should you all.

But, call it devil's advocate or whatever, Axl doesn't have a lot of options.  He has shown for 20 years he is quite content to sit in the mansion, give no fucks, and just crank out a tour every few years.  Not really how Slash and Duff roll.  They need to create and be doing stuff.

I can only speculate, because when can you not with this band, but one has to wonder if this was made clear when they patched it up.  That if Slash and Duff were going to do this, they were going make a real go of it.  Try to be an actual band.  Not just a greatest hits touring band.

All I know is that from pretty much night 1 of this relaunch, all the way back at the Troubadour, Axl seems happier than I have ever seen him.  Has not been one tantrum, one rant, nothing like that.  Perhaps he feels less pressure with 2 of his boys back and it is the kick in the ass he needs.  One that was never going to come from the DJ Ashbas and Ron Thals of the world.

It comes down to money, really.  They just finished the #2 grossing tour of all time last year. A lot of people in the industry made a fuck ton on that. You don't think they'll want a repeat of that steady cash? If a new album is the only way they can realistically rebrand themselves enough to merit another full arena tour of the states, they'll figure it out. I think that's what they're finally fucking doing. Figuring it out. 

Hopefully an announcement comes sooner than later to drum up hype.

[Factory Girl]

I take with a mountain of salt, as should you all.

But, call it devil's advocate or whatever, Axl doesn't have a lot of options.  He has shown for 20 years he is quite content to sit in the mansion, give no fucks, and just crank out a tour every few years.  Not really how Slash and Duff roll.  They need to create and be doing stuff.

I can only speculate, because when can you not with this band, but one has to wonder if this was made clear when they patched it up.  That if Slash and Duff were going to do this, they were going make a real go of it.  Try to be an actual band.  Not just a greatest hits touring band.

All I know is that from pretty much night 1 of this relaunch, all the way back at the Troubadour, Axl seems happier than I have ever seen him.  Has not been one tantrum, one rant, nothing like that.  Perhaps he feels less pressure with 2 of his boys back and it is the kick in the ass he needs.  One that was never going to come from the DJ Ashbas and Ron Thals of the world.

But I think that Axl was ok staying at his mansion watching tv because at some point he started seeing that he couldn’t do much with the band he had (it’s 359 versions). Doesn’t matter how goo the musicians were individually, you can’t just create chemistry or great songs with people that have nothing to do with you just because you want to. It’s totally different with Slash and Duff.

From what we heard through the years, Axl wanted the power to do whatever he wanted, but it seems that in the end it wasn’t that much fun, it was quite isolating and he couldn’t do much without his buddies that created the whole thing with him.

[D-GenerationX]

From what we heard through the years, Axl wanted the power to do whatever he wanted, but it seems that in the end it wasn’t that much fun, it was quite isolating and he couldn’t do much without his buddies that created the whole thing with him.

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
You point your finger
But there's no one around

Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name

Where's your crown, King Nothing?

[jarmo]

It's not exactly a big secret nowadays that they are planning on new material.

Once this tour leg ends, the next shows will be apparently sometime next spring. Or so Slash said.



/jarmo

[sofine11]

It's not exactly a big secret nowadays that they are planning on new material.

Once this tour leg ends, the next shows will be apparently sometime next spring. Or so Slash said.



/jarmo

If you had to guess do you think it'll be an EP like the Pumpkins recently did or an album?

[allwaystired]

It's not exactly a big secret nowadays that they are planning on new material.

Once this tour leg ends, the next shows will be apparently sometime next spring. Or so Slash said.



/jarmo

He said March I think yeah.

[sofine11]

It's not exactly a big secret nowadays that they are planning on new material.

Once this tour leg ends, the next shows will be apparently sometime next spring. Or so Slash said.



/jarmo

He said March I think yeah.

Funny, if what Fernando said pans out that's when the album is supposed to drop.

[pilferk]

From what we heard through the years, Axl wanted the power to do whatever he wanted, but it seems that in the end it wasn’t that much fun, it was quite isolating and he couldn’t do much without his buddies that created the whole thing with him.

Then it all crashes down
And you break your crown
You point your finger
But there's no one around

Just want one thing
Just to play the king
But the castle's crumbled
And you're left with just a name

Where's your crown, King Nothing?

I prefer the "Freddy Mercury" quote (though I'll just paraphrase) from Bohemian Rhapsody:

The label gave me everything I asked for.  Money, resources, everything. I hired the best session musicians that money could buy. I told them to do things, amazing things.

Do you know what the problem was?

They just did them.


There is something to be said for an "antagonistic" collaborative creative process.  And I don't mean they have to fight all the time.  I mean when people who are good at what they do are questioning what you are doing, and what you'd like them to do.  It makes everyone better.   Asking those questions, or putting their own spin on something, is precisely what helps the creative process grow.  I know it's true in my field.  I've seen it is true in others.  I suspect it CAN be true in Music, too.

[jarmo]

If you had to guess do you think it'll be an EP like the Pumpkins recently did or an album?

GN'R seems to be more of an album band. Every album has had thought put into them. From the artwork to the mixing to the sequence of songs....




/jarmo

[PermissionToLand]

I think the really revealing thing will be when they play Hardschool (hopefully it happens on this tour and doesn't just not get played like alternates have in the past).

How much will actually be changed? Will it be Slash playing the existing riffs and adding his own solo? Will he change the riffs somewhat but not radically? Will he change entire chord structures? Will the song be totally unrecognizable?

I feel like the chord structures will be pretty much the same and Slash will just do his own riffs/melodies around that structure. I think the likelihood he pushed Axl to totally re-write the song is pretty low. Especially because Slash is very much a "leave it be" song writer. He's said it himself that he tends to go with the first idea for songs and solos. The one song he was pushed by the producer to revise for Apocalyptic Love was No More Heroes, which I think shows as it's IMO the best composition on the album, especially solo-wise.

And on Axl's side, despite his reputation for letting songs gestate too long, he doesn't seem to spend that time radically re-writing stuff. When you look at the early demos leaked from CD, they are like 95% of what you heard on the final album. And I think it shows in places where he could have come up with something better, like on Shackler's Revenge, the pre-chorus ("Don't ever try to tell me how much you care for me") is so out of place in that song. Sticks out like a sore thumb with that upbeat feeling and just ruins the vibe that the rest of it sets up.

That and the atrocious quality of the latest SMKC album have me worried.

[Ginger King]

I think the really revealing thing will be when they play Hardschool (hopefully it happens on this tour and doesn't just not get played like alternates have in the past).

How much will actually be changed? Will it be Slash playing the existing riffs and adding his own solo? Will he change the riffs somewhat but not radically? Will he change entire chord structures? Will the song be totally unrecognizable?

I feel like the chord structures will be pretty much the same and Slash will just do his own riffs/melodies around that structure. I think the likelihood he pushed Axl to totally re-write the song is pretty low. Especially because Slash is very much a "leave it be" song writer. He's said it himself that he tends to go with the first idea for songs and solos. The one song he was pushed by the producer to revise for Apocalyptic Love was No More Heroes, which I think shows as it's IMO the best composition on the album, especially solo-wise.

And on Axl's side, despite his reputation for letting songs gestate too long, he doesn't seem to spend that time radically re-writing stuff. When you look at the early demos leaked from CD, they are like 95% of what you heard on the final album. And I think it shows in places where he could have come up with something better, like on Shackler's Revenge, the pre-chorus ("Don't ever try to tell me how much you care for me") is so out of place in that song. Sticks out like a sore thumb with that upbeat feeling and just ruins the vibe that the rest of it sets up.

That and the atrocious quality of the latest SMKC album have me worried.

Don't forget how many times Oh My God was on the setlist and was never played...just because Hard School is on there doesn't mean we'll hear it.  Please let me be wrong.

[D-GenerationX]

I'd be pretty surprised if 'Hard School' gets played.

Will be flat out astounded if 'Locomotive' is.  Can Axl spit that out nowadays?

The 2 versions I have on bootleg (NYC - 12.13.91 & Tokyo - 2.20.92) are actually flawless.  He doesn't miss one word of one line and never gets crossed up.  And face it, that's a song with a lot of god damn lyrics.  But he crushed that both nights.

But, fact is, UYI Axl is not this Axl.  I think that is actually one of the crazier songs to try right now.  Despite it being in my all time top 10 GNR tunes.

[tim_m]

Correct me if i am wrong but at some point in all the shows from 2016-18 wasn't every alternative played at least once? I know none of them were unreleased, or was Shadow Of Your Love played prior to release? And of course you have them playing Slither that you gotta admit is quite a surprise Axl would perform.

[Wooody]

I'd be pretty surprised if 'Hard School' gets played.

Will be flat out astounded if 'Locomotive' is.  Can Axl spit that out nowadays?

The 2 versions I have on bootleg (NYC - 12.13.91 & Tokyo - 2.20.92) are actually flawless.  He doesn't miss one word of one line and never gets crossed up.  And face it, that's a song with a lot of god damn lyrics.  But he crushed that both nights.

But, fact is, UYI Axl is not this Axl.  I think that is actually one of the crazier songs to try right now.  Despite it being in my all time top 10 GNR tunes.

People thought, myself included, that he wouldn't be able to sing Shadow of your Love anymore, and he nailed that one. I wouldn't underestimate him.

[D-GenerationX]

People thought, myself included, that he wouldn't be able to sing Shadow of your Love anymore, and he nailed that one. I wouldn't underestimate him.

That's not a bad point.  I saw one from the other night that was actually quite good.

[pilferk]

I'd be pretty surprised if 'Hard School' gets played.

Will be flat out astounded if 'Locomotive' is.  Can Axl spit that out nowadays?

The 2 versions I have on bootleg (NYC - 12.13.91 & Tokyo - 2.20.92) are actually flawless.  He doesn't miss one word of one line and never gets crossed up.  And face it, that's a song with a lot of god damn lyrics.  But he crushed that both nights.

But, fact is, UYI Axl is not this Axl.  I think that is actually one of the crazier songs to try right now.  Despite it being in my all time top 10 GNR tunes.

People thought, myself included, that he wouldn't be able to sing Shadow of your Love anymore, and he nailed that one. I wouldn't underestimate him.

To add to that:

At the beginning of this crazy journey/reunion....who the fuck thought they'd be playing (and Axl singing) Coma every night?

I don't think Axl's afraid of anything.......

[Nytunz]

I'd be pretty surprised if 'Hard School' gets played.

Will be flat out astounded if 'Locomotive' is.  Can Axl spit that out nowadays?

The 2 versions I have on bootleg (NYC - 12.13.91 & Tokyo - 2.20.92) are actually flawless.  He doesn't miss one word of one line and never gets crossed up.  And face it, that's a song with a lot of god damn lyrics.  But he crushed that both nights.

But, fact is, UYI Axl is not this Axl.  I think that is actually one of the crazier songs to try right now.  Despite it being in my all time top 10 GNR tunes.

People thought, myself included, that he wouldn't be able to sing Shadow of your Love anymore, and he nailed that one. I wouldn't underestimate him.

To add to that:

At the beginning of this crazy journey/reunion....who the fuck thought they'd be playing (and Axl singing) Coma every night?

I don't think Axl's afraid of anything.......

Where is the "like" button

[PermissionToLand]

I'd be pretty surprised if 'Hard School' gets played.

Will be flat out astounded if 'Locomotive' is.  Can Axl spit that out nowadays?

The 2 versions I have on bootleg (NYC - 12.13.91 & Tokyo - 2.20.92) are actually flawless.  He doesn't miss one word of one line and never gets crossed up.  And face it, that's a song with a lot of god damn lyrics.  But he crushed that both nights.

But, fact is, UYI Axl is not this Axl.  I think that is actually one of the crazier songs to try right now.  Despite it being in my all time top 10 GNR tunes.

Yeah, there's a lot of lyrics but it's not vocally demanding like WTTJ or YCBM.

[GypsySoul]

Just wondering out loud if Slash now playing Maggot Brain as his solo is his way of embracing a Buckethead-esqe vibe that presumably permeates the vault material that supposedly will be on the next album??  Is this solo a conscience choice not only for him to be more comfortable with that style of music which Axl seemed to want by having BH in the band? and also for it to be second nature for the fans to be hearing him playing this way??  Slash seems to be comfortable playing the Chinese Democracy songs but when the new album is released, it will supposedly be Slash's spin on BH's music that the fans are not familiar with so by default will be all on Slash??

TBH, I'm not familiar with Slash's music outside of GNR so maybe this is something he's already comfortable with?

TBH2, when Robin and Richard played Beautiful, I had to hear it like a gazzillion times before I recognized that's what it was they were playing so people putting their own spin on songs can take them to a different place for me.  Not saying that's good or bad.  Just saying.  In my own defense, I immediately recognize Wish You Were Here when Richard and Slash play it!!! 

[PermissionToLand]

Just wondering out loud if Slash now playing Maggot Brain as his solo is his way of embracing a Buckethead-esqe vibe that presumably permeates the vault material that supposedly will be on the next album??  Is this solo a conscience choice not only for him to be more comfortable with that style of music which Axl seemed to want by having BH in the band? and also for it to be second nature for the fans to be hearing him playing this way??  Slash seems to be comfortable playing the Chinese Democracy songs but when the new album is released, it will supposedly be Slash's spin on BH's music that the fans are not familiar with so by default will be all on Slash??

TBH, I'm not familiar with Slash's music outside of GNR so maybe this is something he's already comfortable with?

TBH2, when Robin and Richard played Beautiful, I had to hear it like a gazzillion times before I recognized that's what it was they were playing so people putting their own spin on songs can take them to a different place for me.  Not saying that's good or bad.  Just saying.  In my own defense, I immediately recognize Wish You Were Here when Richard and Slash play it!!! 

I didn't know Buckethead did that one too, but I feel like funk is much more a part of Slash's style (or at least, it used to be) than Buckethead's. So it seems like a logical choice for him regardless of any ties to Buckethead.